Two Way Street
by xHellsYeahDixonne
Summary: Daryl and Michonne were from completely different worlds but they had one thing in common they thrived in a world where the dead ruled. Could this world bring them together? Daryl DixonxMichonne
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have posted every chapter on Tumblr until now so I decided to bring it to FF, I know there aren't many Dixonne fics so I figure we need another! Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, Dixonne owns my heart. The title Two Way Street belongs to Kimbra whose amazing song inspired the title and the fic.**

Michonne crept through the thick of the woods as silently as possible, without her walkers she couldn't help but feel exposed. Her protection from the walkers was gone leaving her open to attacks and now her last connection to the world before it went to shit was also gone.

She tried to stop herself as her thoughts turned bitter, but it was all too late. Her mind was back on Andrea, the one person she had counted on spending the rest of her days with, the one woman she loved. The 8 months they spent together had been forgotten in the blink of an eye when Andrea had chosen The Governor over her.

The one person she felt she could rely on in the world had picked a man with walker heads in fish tanks and child walker locked in a cage. Andrea had seen all of that and she still kept that gun at Michonne.

_"What have you done?"_

The words echoed in her mind, Andrea was asking her what she had done. That was when Andrea had made her decision, the division between them made clear in those 4 words.

Michonne tried to ignore the heartache those thoughts produced, she was lonely and it didn't look like that was changing any time soon, the prison survivors had all but cast her out and treated her like pariah.

She understood their apprehension but she felt so alone and unappreciated. She had helped them get their people back from Woodbury, whether they believed it or not. It wasn't her fault that they had lost two people in the process which she was sure caused a lot of pain but she was sick of being blamed for that.

She knew they were sceptical because she hadn't saved Glenn and Maggie from Merle in the first place, Michonne had wanted to save them but she knew he would've killed her first, she didn't have her full mobility and sadly guns were faster than her sword. It worked better on walkers.

She kept her steps quiet even though all she felt like doing was stomping her feet, none of this seemed fair and all she wanted to do was act out. No one wanted to accept her into their group and no one actually cared for her well being.

Michonne heard Mike in the back of her mind telling her not to take it to heart and she knew he was right. He always was, he was always there giving her advice and sometimes she spoke aloud with him but most time she just took his statements and advice to heart and lived by it.

Right now, she wasn't sure what hurt her more, losing Mike or losing Andrea. She always knew Mike loved her, he always told her and made it clear. With Andrea, there was no expression of feelings, but Michonne had believed the feelings were clear between them.

Blinking the tears back she stopped for a moment to compose herself. She really needed to get a grip.

"I'm impressed Sugar, yeh certainly showed the gov whose boss and saved our asses" the familiar voice broke Michonne out of her grief stricken, self pitying state, Merle Dixon.

She'd be damned if she was going to let him get away alive.

"cool your jets Merle, I did this to save Daryl. You're only alive right now because you're his brother and I know what it's like to lose a sibling" Andrea's voice was clear, but Michonne just didn't care any more. Michonne leapt out from behind the tree, the tip of the katana resting on Merle's jugular.

"Well I'll be damned. Yeh just don't die do yah" the red neck let out a hearty laugh as if she'd told him a hilarious joke instead of threatening his life

"drop the damn sword" a male voice came from behind her, she knew it was Daryl.

She took her eyes away from Merle, not only did Daryl have his crossbow trained on the back of her head but Andrea had her gun aimed at her again.

Before Michonne had a chance to compose herself she was speaking, her emotions still swirling within her, anger, guilt, sadness.

"Did you know that your precious govnah sent Merle and his men to kill me? He wanted my katana and my head, I heard them talking about it as they tried to track me." she kept her eyes focused on the woman she had considered a friend, there was a look of disbelief on the blondes face that had Michonne's heart breaking all over again. "Isn't that right Merle."

She eyed both the blonde and the older Dixon refusing to drop her katana when she realized neither Andrea nor Daryl were relenting.

"You can shoot me Daryl, but I'm taking Merle with me. If I die, he does too." she hissed

"I..I don't believe you" the blonde's face wore the same hardened expression she'd seen in the governors apartment.

"It's true blondie" Merle finally spoke up letting out a chuckle "she appeared out of thin air and killed two of our best men while we were reading the bitergram she left us. After we were attacked by walkers I decided to give up the chase, let er get away. I'm not gonna waste my time chasing after some bitch who'd probably kill me anyway" he cackled.

"Drop the sword Michonne" Daryl spoke again, his voice vicious

"Please just drop it" Andrea sighed as if she had been wronged.

Michonne let the katana drop to her side, she was just too tired to bother any more, none of them were worth the time and energy she was expending so she'd settle for bringing Daryl back to the prison, might at least show the group she was trustworthy or something like that.

"Are you comin' or what?" she pushed past Daryl and started walking in the direction of the prison. They wouldn't want Merle there but if they wanted Daryl back they'd have to deal with it. They could always lock him in a cell like they had her.

Michonne trudged ahead of the others barely managing to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. No one could see her cry, she needed to maintain her strong image because these people were not the ones who should see her weak. Especially not Merle.

"Sorry about my brother"

Michonne just about tripped over she was so startled by the younger Dixon, he was near on silent on his feet and she wasn't focused on anything other than walking.

"it's not your doing" she responded quietly "it isn't even his really, he just did what the Govenah told him to do"

"Sorry all the same" he continued to walk alongside her.

They reached the gates within 20 minutes, as the other survivors crowded near entrance, Rick unlocked them and pulled them open with ease. The was no need for them to look around beforehand there was a strange lack of walkers around that always made Michonne uneasy.

Daryl was greeted with warm smiles and some hugs whilst Michonne was greeted with the same unease she was beginning to get used to.

"We bought more company" Michonne spoke up tilting her head toward Andrea and Merle.

Most of the group looked apprehensive about their presence, Merle she understood but Andrea, she didn't. Andrea had talked about them as if they were family and here they were giving her looks of distrust. It had been 8 months and she'd realized the group knew she was part of Woodbury, why else would she be with Merle and Daryl.

"Why is he here?" Maggie spoke up looking horrified at the sight of Merle

"He's my brother" Daryl looked across at the brunette challenging her to speak again

"well since he's here and we're not about to kick him out, you wont mind if we lock him in a cell" Rick spoke in a harsh tone, one that had previously been reserved for Michonne. She supposed she was the lesser of two evils, she'd proven to be somewhat trustworthy, where as from what she had gathered from the whispers and looks of fear and apprehension now, Merle had been terrible from the start.

"Fine. Merle come on." Daryl led his brother away from the group through to the cell block as the group followed.

Michonne was stunned by Merle's willingness and silence as he was led to be locked up, maybe he cared enough about his brother to try and earn the groups trust. Though if he cared about his brother so much, she failed to understand why he forced Maggie and Glenn to Woodbury instead of the prison.

"Mesh can we talk?" Andrea startled her from her thoughts

"What's there to talk about Andrea? you made your choice, now you've got to live with it" Michonne left the woman standing there as she walked to her own cell and settled on the top bunk.

The voices echoed through the cell block, she figured the walls were designed that way, to highlight all sound, big or small.

"we're going to need to lock you in a cell too Andrea" she heard Rick speak, his tone was surprisingly cold.

Michonne imagined that Andrea wore that familiar look of pain that she'd grown used too. All Andrea had talked about was Amy and getting to the group.

"sure…" the blonde answered quietly

Michonne listened as two cells were closed and locked, expecting hers to be the third but no one came. There were more foot steps and a lot of chatter, now that Andrea was safely locked up in her cell Michonne was free to walk around. She wasn't ready to sleep now.

Stepping out of her cell she spotted Rick sitting on the steps with Daryl, the two of them having an extremely quiet discussion.

"Rick" she spoke up gaining his attention right away "I can take watch in the tower tonight"

The former lawyer had always been a night owl and could last on very little sleep. She just needed to feel useful and unrestricted.

"Fine, you and Daryl are on watch in tower number four tonight." he nodded at the two of them and stood heading to the cell he shared with Carl and the baby.

"Come on" Daryl led the way, picking up two machine guns handing one to her as they walked side by side.

The walk to the tower was silent but not entirely awkward, Michonne felt oddly comfortable with him.

They climbed the stairs taking their positions in separate corners of the tower only pausing to glance at one another.

"So I see yeh already know Andrea. How?"

"I found her running from walkers when the farm got overrun, her ammo had run out and she about ready to give up. I saved her. We been travelled together for the last 8 months. We saw a helicopter crash and went to find out what happened, The Govnah and his men showed up as we hid." she paused for a moment "We were found by Merle and he took us to the Govnah and Woodbury. He presented himself and the town as something it wasn't and Andrea bought it." she tried to keep the emotion out of her voice "she chose to say, ignored my warnings."

"She seems to care about yeh" he shrugged

"Sometimes caring ain't enough" Michonne spoke up stopping their conversation in its tracks. It felt odd telling him what had happened and she putting a stop to it.

The two went back to being silent, only speaking to point out walkers. Rick and Carol came to relieve them at 4am, Michonne hadn't failed to notice the brief looks exchanged by the three of them.

"So far we've only seen walkers, no signs of humans. Merle said they'd probably strike once they had all their weapons together and once they'd figured out what our situation was. They might even turn up waving the white flag." Daryl whispered

"They took out a bunch of national guard officers a few weeks ago. Guessing they waved the white flag and ambushed them, got all their weapons and their trucks. They're loaded. The Govnah had a cabinet full of individual weapons, they were his trophies. He's clearly practised at this." Michonne paused for a moment

"I suggest we get everyone up bright and early and start getting them ready. He doesn't want the prison, he certainly ain't planning on taking any of us back to Woodbury. He wants to take everyone out, take our weapons and make this place uninhabitable. Those new people, Tyreese and the others, we could use their help as well, they've survived this long, they're capable." She allowed her words to sink in before continuing

"Andreas a really good shot, get her and whoever else with those skills in the towers, they might be able to take some people out before they even have a chance to think about shooting at us." She left the tower ahead of Daryl, allowing them to have a discussion. This was probably the most she'd spoken to Rick at once. With so much time to think she'd come to realize a few things.

They were gaining an understanding and she appreciated that. Now was not the time to push that. They might not take all of her advice and insight but she was glad to show them she knew something.

It was clear Rick hadn't welcomed Tyreese and the others, he'd given them the cell block that had originally been cleared for the prisoners. She wasn't quite sure why she wasn't stuck in the separate cell block with them but a part of her was thankful.

Michonne just knew that keeping them separated was a bad idea, in a world like this, with the governor and Woodbury breathing down their necks they had to welcome them into fold and make sure they were prepared to protect the group.

She knew things were about to become crazy, people were going to die and she had no plans of being one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm posting these chapters in bulk but I'd like feedback for each one! thoughts so far**?

Michonne followed Rick, Daryl and Glenn to the cell block that housed Tyreese and the others, when they had returned from Woodbury Rick had become worried they might plan a revolt, take out the 'leader' and force everyone to follow their lead so the solution had been to keep them away but still provide the group with what they needed.

The three of them were there with Rick to make sure they didn't still plan on taking Rick out to gain leadership.

She knew Rick had bought Daryl because his loyalty was unwavering. He'd kill for Rick and the group which was something Rick definitely needed in this situation, she suspected she had been ask along because of how well she used her katana and how fast she could draw it. That fact made Michonne want to smile, it had taken a lot of practice to be as good as she was. Using a Katana was nothing like fencing, it was heavy and uncomfortable at first.

She certainly hoped he had her there to show he had taken her advice, it was good advice in her mind. She stood to the back of the group as Rick unlocked the main cell block door, the group of unfamiliar people exiting from their separate cells.

"Can I help you?" the man they knew as Tyreese spoke for them, he looked weary and confused, Michonne guessed they had accepted the fact that Ricks group wanted nothing to do with them.

"We're here to warn you"

"we already know we have to stay away" the younger female hissed looking and sounding more resentful then confused

"it's actually not about your group" Rick responded in a more friendly tone "and it isn't the walkers, it is a threat of the human kind. There's a town about 30 miles out, the towns leader and it's member want our weapons, and they've got heavy artillery. We know they'll attack soon so We're putting people up in the towers and on patrol day and night."

"you mean to tell us that you're only taking us in because you want us to defend your people?" Tyreese look mildly angry, Michonne understood the anger. It was almost an insult to have isolated them so badly only to bring them in for protection.

"If you want the truth then yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you, we have food, we have weapons, we have protection. We can protect each other." with the way Rick was speaking, Michonne was glad he could be quite charming "Those are what we have to offer and we want your protection and to protect you. You're certainly nothing like the people from Woodbury and even if you choose to stay away you deserve a warning."

"we're starting to teach our own people to become sharp shooters and working with heavy artillery. If Any of you want to learn with us then you're all more than welcome."

"fine, we'll help" he relented and turned to his own group "we're all going to take the time to practice with these guns. I want you all prepared."

"You're welcome to come to our cell block we have more spare cells" Glenn added, Michonne couldn't help but smile. He was a really good guy, he hadn't lost his humanity which she could see was slowly happening with Rick.

Though Michonne saw that whilst Rick was losing his humanity there were things that bought him back to being human. The baby and Carl being the two things that softened him the most. Some of the members of the group were able to do the same but he was generally hardened around everyone else.

"That would be better than living in isolation" the female spoke up "I'm Sasha by the way"

"I'm Rick, this is Daryl, Glenn and Michonne" he pointed to each of the members of the group

"I'm Allan, this is my son Ben" the guy with the beard spoke up, for some reason he made Michonne feel uneasy, he seemed like one of those guys who was more than willing to do what he needed without thinking of the consequences for anyone else.

With the introductions done Rick and Glenn took the newest members of the group out to the fences, their target practice would be walkers, it made the most sense. They were moving targets and killing them took good aim.

Michonne couldn't help but smile as she walked toward her cell, they'd taken her advice to heart and it felt better than she thought it would.

"Woah…never imagined that was possible" Merle snickered as he walked in her direction.

At his point Michonne decided she was going to ignore him, she refused to dignify him with an answer, he wasn't ruining her mood.

"woah woah woah, who said you couldn't answer?" his hand squeezed her arm, she was sure it was going to bruise but she wasn't about to relent, using her free arm she pulled her katana from the sheath spinning out of he grip and aiming the sword at his throat.

"Don't you touch me, ever. You do not get to threaten me." she hissed "I will lock you up in a cell and make sure you rot"

"well ain't yeh a feisty one, that's how I like em" his calm demeanour sent a chill down her spine, even The Governor had shown some fear.

He reminded her of a few of the cases she'd taken at the start of her career, desperate for work she took any case whether they were guilty or not, the men and women she had worked for were chillingly cold and unattached to the world, sometimes cocky.

"Give it a rest Merle" Daryl's voice came from behind her, he clearly knew his brother and knew that he would push her to the limit

"are yew defending some bitch ova yer big brotha?" Merle's face hardened, it was a look she was sure Daryl had received on many occasions. She'd caught a few glimpses of the scars, when his shirt rode up or a button came undone. There were so many it baffled her.

"It ain't like that Merle, yeh just gotta stop messin' with everyone. Yer only here on account of me and if yer gonna start making it difficult then why should I botha?" his tone was firm as he stepped in front of her, tapping her arm to get her to drop it. She did as she was silently asked, taking a step back but staying to observe, there was a part of her that wanted to protect Daryl.

Michonne had trouble keeping the smile off her face, she was strangely proud of the younger Dixon for sticking up for himself, she knew it was something he didn't do regularly.

"Yer right baby brotha, I just get caught up sometimes. Sorry Michonne." the complete transformation in character made Michonne blink a few times.

"s'alright, just don't do it again" she walked away as her mind filled with various thoughts, it seemed as if The Governor had found Merle's weakness and he'd used it to suck him in, keep the man in line. It was as if Merle needed someone counting on him and if they weren't or if he felt undervalued he snapped back into this horrible behaviour that left everyone either afraid or pissed off.

It seemed to her that Daryl had managed to hit the same nerve the Governor had obviously been good at hitting. Daryl would never intentionally take his brother down a peg, he was too caring for that.

She realized he'd been raised in the same horrible environment that Daryl had, they just adapted differently.

Daryl had become the survivor long before the apocalypse, he was strong, quiet and didn't understand people or how to act with them. Yet this group seemed to have changed that.

Andrea had told her stories of squirrel throwing, yelling and a general unwillingness to cooperate. Then the stories began to change, he became helpful and he took the group and it's protection very seriously, those changes were evident to her now and she'd spent very little time with the younger Dixon.

Unfortunately it seemed that Merle had picked up all the horrible traits she was sure he'd probably gotten from his father, his adaptation had taken a different turn, he too was a survivor but he had become cold and volatile. It was his way of coping, becoming the one thing that had truly caused their pain.

She suspected that up until he became a part of Woodbury, no one had given him a chance. These were the people She'd dealt with a lot, never given a chance to shine or to change their lives so they never bothered.

Michonne knew she could have misjudged the situation but with some much time to observe and think she doubted it.

This was one of the reasons why she had become a lawyer, she could read people well. It came from her upbringing, her father beat her mother and sometimes if he was feeling extremely 'angry' the beatings extended to her as the eldest daughter. Her sisters and brother were too young to be beat on, only ranging from 3 to 7.

The youngest was her brother Tyler, her sisters Kenya and Michelle were 5 and 7, just a little to young to truly understand what was really going on and generally by the time it came to that they were in bed. Sometimes Michonne got beaten trying to protect her siblings.

She spent a lot of her childhood pondering why he would do that, was it something she did? though even as a child she soon realized it wasn't her or her mother. Her father was just someone who thought abuse was an acceptable show of anger and no amount of apologies and expressions of regret could ever change that.

The one life changing event she had - before the end of the world - was the day her mother packed the five of their bags, left the house for good, taking Tyler with her and picking up the three girls from school and driving all five of them to her Aunt's place in Atlanta.

Michonne was 10 at the time, one thing was for certain, None of them had ever looked back and it was from that day forward that Michonne strived to work hard and make her mothers sacrifices worth it. She was dazzled by her mothers resilience, becoming a single mother of four was an extremely difficult decision to make and she'd struggled to make ends meet, she worked 4 jobs to provide for her family.

That was the very reason Michonne had put her head down and worked hard, there had been no time for partying and no time for boys in her teens, she'd gained everything she had through her own merits. A high powered job, A beautiful house, two amazing daughters, a loving boyfriend. She'd even saved enough to buy her mother a house to retire in.

Yet after all that she lost everything, her mother, her sisters, her brother, her daughters, her boyfriend, everyone she ever cared about. It even extended to Andrea. It was all pain she never wanted to deal with.

She climbed the stairs reaching the top of the tower she stepped out the door and found Tyreese standing there, he was watching over target practice.

"I hear it's you I have to thank for our sudden acceptance into the group" he turned to greet her

"I guess you could say that." she shrugged, she simply made a suggestion and Rick took it.

"so what's the deal with this group? whose the mother of the baby?" Tyreese questioned, Michonne knew he was curious and slightly concerned for the welfare of his own group.

"I haven't been told the full story but I heard it's Ricks baby, and there isn't a mother around. So I figure she probably died during child birth" she answered, a part of her felt sad for Rick and the others.

It was an interesting parallel, with the death of Ricks wife a new life was bought into the world. This was a world where a babies cry would attract death, they were lucky to be in the prison right now.

Tyreese simply nodded and turned his head to look at her again "are you new to the group?"

"I am, I've been here for a few days, helped them get two of their people back from the town that's planning the attack. Someone kidnapped them and beat the guy up pretty bad, they were about to execute them when we got them out of there." she sighed at the thought of what was coming "up until the point where I led Daryl and a couple of others back here they were locking me in my cell at night and taking my Katana. So don't take the treatment personally. They just take a while to warm up to new members. People do bad things in this world and these ones are the good guys"

"I wasn't sure what to think until you guys came in this morning, I figured keeping us separated was a precaution. Is there anyone I should be watching out for? maybe the two rednecks?" he nodded his head toward Merle and Daryl who were in the yard watching the shooting lessons.

"Daryl, the smaller one with the crossbow, he's a good guy, definitely worth trusting, Merle I'm not entirely decided on what I think of him. He's racist that's for sure but he seems to try not to make any comments or openly show it and he'd do anything for his brother." Michonne shrugged "Everyone else seems trustworthy, I'm keeping an eye on Andrea, I've known her a while now, but she was sucked in by Woodbury, a part of me wonders if she and Merle are here to sabotage things. Based on the situation they were in, it seems mighty unlikely that three people could take on a town of 50 and get out alive."

"For someone new, you sure do know a lot" he commented

"That's because I spend most of my time observing and listening, now ain't the time for chatting and acting all friendly. Plus I've been in Woodbury, I've met the Governor and I've seen what he's capable of"

"well thanks for the advice" Tyreese gave her a smile "I'm going to head to the shooting lessons, see how Sasha's doing. Make sure she isn't running her mouth." he chuckled as he turned for the door, closing the door behind him Michonne was left alone with her thoughts.

Michonne felt the tears welling in her eyes as she began to wonder whether her daughters would have been like Sasha, they were too young to die, Maria was only 6 when the virus broke out and Rose was 8, the two of them had been playing in the front yard of their fathers house when a walker had ambled up and bitten Rose.

It had been their week with their father, Shawn, the two of them had an amicable break up and divorce agreeing to keep things civil for the girls. Shawn had come to the rescue and patched up the bite.

It was all too late by the time Michonne had arrived after receiving his call; Rose had turned and bitten her father first. That was what Michonne was certain of, and it broke her heart her youngest never stood a chance after that.

A tear rolled down her cheek and once she started she couldn't stop. She let herself through the door to the inside of the tower as she begun to cry her heart out, it was one of the first time's she'd cried in the space of 8 months, crying for her daughters, for Mike, for everyone.

The crying turned into sobs as she dropped to her knees, with her head in hands. The sobs were painful and broken, no matter how hard she tried to stop she just couldn't, the images of her little girl being devoured by her father and sister filled her mind.

She hadn't had the heart to kill them either, it just wasn't right, a mother killing her daughters.

"oh…I uh, came to keep watch from this tower didn't think anyone was here" Daryl's voice came from the top of the stairs as she snapped her head up to look at him, this was her worst nightmare. The man seemed awkward and uncomfortable, like most when a woman cried.

"No one can know you saw this" Michonne spoke quietly, wiping furiously at her tears she had to stop now or she'd drown in her own tears.

"ain't my business tah tell" he shrugged "I'll just be out there."

He left Michonne flustered and exhausted, soon the tears were gone as she stood and opened the door to take watch with Daryl, it had been her job originally. She hoped he'd be true to his word and never speak of what he'd seen.

"Yeh okay now?" he looked at her, his eyes meeting hers for a second before he looked away

"I'm fine now…thanks"

The pair spent their time in opposite corners once again, in their strangely comfortable silence. Michonne was mortified that he had seen her crying, it wasn't how she was wired, she wasn't even sure her mother had ever seen her cry since she was a toddler.

She kept everything bottled up until it exploded and this had been her explosion, the memories that played through her mind had been too much to talk about and she was thankful for Daryl's silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So another new chapter, time for the prison fight, what do you think?**

_The group assembled in their various preplanned positions as the rumble of engines could be heard in the distance, Tyreese and Rick helped Hershel into the back of the jeep that was to be driven by Beth, she was driving Hershel, Carl and baby Judith out of harms way. There was no way anyone was willing to risk any of their lives._

_The jeep had been gone for 5 minutes when the trucks that belonged to The Governor and his army of Woodbury survivors approached coming to a halt as they all prepared for battle _

_It had been when the jeep had driven out of the gate that Merle had taken his chances on the outside, picking The Governor over his clearly heartbroken younger brother. None of them had noticed until he was on the other side of the now locked gate._

_"Yew didn't really think I'd help defend tha' pig an' the chink afta they left me on that roof, I ain't risking my life fer any of yah, not even yew baby brotha" he had chuckled menacingly _

_Daryl never responded to his brothers taunts, he chose to mask the pain he felt and fight for the group, who were in reality, his true family._

_The shooting began within a minute, though Andrea and Carol had easily taken out at least 10 of the Woodbury members from their guard tower positions with their sniper rifles, it was still clear that the prison survivors were outnumbered by a mile. This had led to Carol had being shot in the shoulder and Allen being killed._

_A lot more members of Woodbury were taken down in the crossfire then the prison group, the group had held their positions, up until the point that the fences were broken by a truck. Now they were at risk of a walker attack, the gun shots were guaranteed to gain the attention of the closest hoard. If not a couple of hoards._

_Michonne and Daryl had rushed to the guard towers, to escort Andrea and Carol away, the blonde had been fine. Setting Michonne's mind at ease until they got to Carol, she had needed to be carried. Michonne covered the pair as Daryl ran with Carol in his arms, placing the bleeding woman in the back seat of the car waiting for them, Andrea going with her to tend to her wounds._

_By now the walkers were surrounding the Woodbury survivors, taking out even more of the dangerous party._

_It was then that the lawyer had decided she would take out the Governor once and for all, using the commotion as cover she got around the vehicles and came from behind, slicing off his head. It was as satisfying as she imagined, until Merle had chuckled from behind her._

_"well well well if aint my favourite bitch" she felt his gun on the back of her head "I'm gonna enjoy this moment" he hissed viciously _

_She closed her eyes waiting for the pain and death that awaited her, at least she'd finally be with her baby girls. _

_All that came was a loud thud "MICHONNE! GIT ON NOW!" she recognized Daryl's voice as she turned to run, she saw the arrow protruding from Merles head. Daryl had shot his brother to save her._

_They sped away from the prison ahead of the rest of the vehicles._

Michonne held Daryl tight as they sped down the empty road on his motorcycle. They were headed toward the agreed meeting point. The battle had finally happened and though the group had been thoroughly prepared, people had been lost and Michonne was still reeling. All the planning in the world couldn't stand up to guns and evil men.

Allan and Hershel were dead, Carl and Beth were missing and Carol was wounded.

She had felt like puking when she and Daryl had found the car that Carl, Beth, Hershel & Baby Judith had left in right before the battle.

The only occupant remaining was Hershel who had been shot execution style. Hershel was a warm, welcoming man and had help fix her wound despite Rick's distrust and the fact that she had knowledge on the whereabouts of his daughter.

That left Carl, Beth and Judith out there, they probably had weapons and the area was likely to be walker free but one cry and any walker remaining would happily greet them. She knew Carl would guard Judith with his life but Beth was probably in shock.

As they pulled up to the agreed spot, The Greene's now very clear and very empty farm, it was obvious that no one else had arrived yet.

"We have to find them Daryl" Michonne hissed as she dismounted the bike

"Yer right, but we gotta wait fer the others" he turned to face her once he had dismounted the bike in front of her

"we'll leave them a note, leave on foot, I've been told you know the lay of the land around here." she looked him in the eyes, keeping his focus for a moment longer than necessary.

"Carol did pack paper and a pen, we'll leave a note on the bike and head out" Daryl relented.

Michonne opened her backpack and pulled out the paper and pen, taking a moment to calm her nerves and stop her shaky hands

'Daryl and I have gone to search for Carl, Beth and Judith. Unfortunately we found the jeep and Hershel has been killed. There was no sign of the kids but we figured they'd head in this direction. We will be back soon, hopefully with the others. Do not come searching for us. - Michonne'

She placed the note on the seat of his bike and hoped it would stay there.

They walked toward the woods in silence, the area was eerily clear of walkers and activity, it was in moments like this that you were truly aware that the world was over. Not even the animals made a sound, they were hunted just as much as humans, Walkers had no preference when they were desperate and starving.

"Yew weren't surprised 'bout Merle were yeh?"

"Not really, something didn't sit right, he took things far too well for someone like him. He aint bad guy, The Govnah just had him sucked right in" she sighed, she wanted him to be the good guy, if not for Daryl but for the group.

As soon as The Governor and his merry men had arrived Merle had switched sides letting himself out of the gates before anyone could stop him.

The look of pain on Daryl's face had been hard to see, he loved his brother despite everything, he wanted him to change. To be everything he'd never been before the world ended but he wasn't and all he'd done was let Daryl down again.

Michonne felt for him, she'd never share that with him, she knew he didn't want anyone's sympathy and he certainly hadn't wanted people to see him react, the hurt expression had been gone before most people noticed.

"yer good at observing things, people could learn from that." that was a compliment coming from Daryl Dixon.

Before she could respond he was crouching down and pulling her with him, a group of 6 walkers ambled toward them, they had already been spotted and there was no way around it.

Michonne drew her sword from it's sheath and stood slowly stabbing one walker in the chest before kicking it away and slicing its head in half, Daryl had taken out a walker with an arrow, as Michonne moved onto the next two catching them both in one well practised move, slicing both their heads off as she moved.

Daryl shot the last two in quick succession, they stood back to back breathing heavily. Michonne couldn't help but smile, it was good to work out some of that frustration.

"We need to be more careful" Daryl spoke quietly as he retrieved his bolts from the fallen walkers.

"We do." she agreed picking up her backpack and slinging it back over her shoulders.

They trekked through the woods for another two hours, not finding any walkers, Daryl had picked up on some tracks that looked like they could belong Carl and Beth. They had been following them for 20 minutes.

Michonne was amazed by his tracking skills, this was on a whole other level of observation and concentration. She was observant when it came to people but when she looked at the ground, all she saw was dirt and leaves.

"These tracks are fresh…we must be close" Daryl whispered

"There's a farm house over there, maybe they went into it?" she suggested

"their tracks are heading tha' way, hopefully they stayed there"

The climbed the stairs of the front porch as silently as possible, Michonne cringed with each step, her feet sounded thunderous compared to the hunters silent steps.

He led the way in a crab crawl with his hunting knife in hand as he slowly opened the front door to the house, no one jumped out, there were no groans to be heard and no babies crying.

As they crept further into the house deciding to go back to back as they reached to back door, they found two double dead walkers. They both been shot in the head and it had definitely only been maybe fifteen to twenty minutes since then.

Before Michonne had a chance to react Daryl burst out the back door

"CARL!" he yelled frantically

"Daryl…" Michonne hissed

"BETH!" he yelled again

"Daryl there are walkers coming" She pointed in the direction of a large group of walkers, her blood running cold, if Carl and Beth had been found by this group they never stood a chance.

There had to be at least 30 walkers coming their way, Michonne kept a level head as she looked around assessing their options.

"We can take em'" Daryl whispered

"You need a knife or somethin'?" She questioned, he wouldn't have the time to reload with such a large group

"Nah, I got this" he bent down picking up a crowbar that she'd never noticed before

The walkers began their decent as Daryl and Michonne once again stood back to back, slicing, stabbing and bashing walkers one by one. They watched each others back, stopping a couple of near misses on one another, their senses were heightened, the adrenaline was pumping and it was clear they'd gone into killing mode as they took down every single walker.

Michonne let her arms sag as they stood together breathing heavily, the walkers were piled around them, they were both exhausted yet satisfied. That "battle" if you could call it that had lasted at least forty minutes and swinging and katana and a crowbar really took it a lot energy.

The former lawyer had to admit, she was impressed with how they had handled the situation, maybe the smartest thing would have been to run but they'd come too far for that. Neither were willing to give up on Carl and Beth, they'd find them and battling through the hoard was part of that.

Each encounter with the man behind her taught her that they were more alike than different, they'd definitely both adapted to this world better than most and their personal stories, though not shared but learnt through observation, were similar.

"DARYL! MICHONNE!" a familiar voice called they both spun on their spots to find Carl and Beth climbing down from a tree at the edge of the clearing they were standing in.

Beth wore a sling on her front that held a sleeping Judith, Michonne had seen those slings in baby stores when she had been pregnant. But she had decided against them for the fear that the baby could fall out. Clearly she had misjudged the simple stretchy device because the baby was secure.

"Oh thank god, yer both alright" Daryl spoke up as he stepped over the walkers around them, Michonne followed keeping quiet as she observed the interaction "sorry 'bout yer dad"

"It's okay" the young blonde spoke quietly ducking her head to hide her pain.

Michonne found herself placing an arm around the young girls shoulders "He'd be happy you're alive, that's all any parent ever wants" she whispered in the girls ear

"We better head back to the farm before it gets to nightfall" Daryl spoke up, she was sure he wasn't surprised at her show of emotion, unlike the two children in this situation.

The walk back took less time then the search itself as they approached the house they heard Maggie yelling "They're back! they've found Carl and Beth!" she exclaimed

Beth was quick to hand baby Judith to Michonne who melted at the sight of the baby girl, she reminded her of her own daughters "Aren't you just a beautiful little girl" she cooed naturally, her maternal instincts kicking in as she rocked the now awake baby "you're one smart little baby" she whispered, stroking the baby's cheek

"that's why I call her little ass kicker" Daryl piped in, he was beside Michonne looking down at the baby girl "better survival instinct then most adults" he added.

Rick approached the three of them after he reunited with Carl "I can't thank you both enough for finding my children"

Michonne simply nodded as she reluctantly handed him his daughter

"neither of us were gonna leave those kids out there" Daryl smiled a little at Rick "is Carol okay?"

"Maggie got the bullet out and stitched things up, all we can do is wait and hope she doesn't get an infection" Rick explained, Michonne noticed the relief that washed over Daryl's features, she knew he and Carol were close. Maybe they were more than friends, it was hard to tell. She tried to ignore the knot that twisted itself in her heart, she was jealous that they'd found each other in such a horrible situation.

"Sorry about Merle by the way" the leader added, making eye contact with his second in command.

"Ain't nothin' yew coulda done to change that" he shrugged and walked toward the house, probably going to visit Carol, he was holding his cards close to his chest and the lawyer really couldn't blame him for it.

"Thank you for everything Michonne, I mean it" Rick spoke from the heart and she certainly appreciated it, she welcomed the level of familiarity that came with Ricks words.

"If I'd had the chance to save my daughters I would have, the least I can do is save someone else's kids" she left the man to contemplate what she had said, aside from her name this was the first personal detail she'd revealed about herself.

She wasn't sure letting the group know any of her business was a good idea but she wanted a family and this was the closest she was going to get to one.

That night she slept in a proper bed, with a comfy mattress, blankets and a soft pillow, she had chosen to finally let her guard down and she slept for hours, though with the katana in bed beside her, she never woke up until the next morning. Michonne was normally a light sleeper but the exhaustion she felt from the days events had been too much for her body to handle.

Now she sat on the front porch watching the group potter around the farm, this place had been a home for them before the prison, this was the Greene family farm.

"Meesh" Andrea greeted as she took a seat beside her, Michonne didn't move or really acknowledge her former friend "the last time I sat on the this step, I sat with Dale, he was a wise man, he held onto his humanity and he argued for what was right, even up until the end. He made me feel human and losing him was something I wasn't ready for, I took him for granted." she paused for a moment and sighed "then just like he did, you saved my life and you kept me safe and I realize I took you for granted too. I let my own fantasies of safety cloud my judgement and I lost you in the process."

Michonne listened, letting the blonde say her piece "sometimes I ignore the bad things because the good is just too good to pass up. I ignored everything that was wrong with Woodbury because I thought could finally relax and I foolishly let you walk out that gate without me. I've never regretted anything more in my entire life. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry for everything if I could go back and walk out those gates with you, I would." they were now making eye contact and there were silent tears rolling down her friends face "I wish I had now, but I understand if you want to keep me out of your life."

"Ordinarily I'd have pushed you so far out of my life there wouldn't be a chance in hell of you ever finding your way back into my life." Michonne took a moment to consider her words " but this world, it's different. You're my best friend Andrea, I love you and I forgive you. It's going to take me some time to trust you but I can't lose any more people." she gripped the blondes hand in her own "I know I haven't been as open and honest as you and there is a reason for that. All I need is for you to trust me to tell you in my own time"

"oh thank you Meesh!" Andrea exclaimed throwing her arms around Michonne "you don't ever have to tell me if you don't want to."

They sat there for a good thirty minutes, simply enjoying each others company and the temporary peace that had been bestowed on the group. Michonne was relieved that she and Andrea had finally made things right, the world seemed slightly brighter, at least for now. Michonne wondered how long this would last, the shit had to hit the fan again sometime soon and she would be prepared for it.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Shorter chapter but some more development, what do you think?**

Michonne picked up her bag and followed Andrea to the car they were sharing with Carol. They had to leave the farm, there were more stragglers showing up day by day, which was a clear indicator of a herd. They were just ahead of a much bigger group, something everyone was now used to.

It was time to get out of the herds path and keep everyone safe. With a baby to care for and a diminishing amount of formula, they had a lot to attend too.

The group had formulated a plan to try and get out of the state but they still weren't sure whether they could get anywhere beyond the area that the group had been circling, both together and apart. Michonne and Andrea had circled Atlanta and beyond only to find that two herds had cut them off.

This had been the same problem for Ricks group and Tyreese's. The former lawyer was contemplating informing them the idea she'd had for herself and Andrea before they'd been taken to Woodbury. Her idea was to travel toward the Georgia coast and find an island to settle on. She'd thought it through, they'd gather food supplies, gardening supplies for crops, fishing gear, building supplies and a boat or two and set off.

There would be enough of them to sustain a better, safer life, they could clear out any walkers and take the island for themselves. This of course was only a theory and the practice of would be a lot harder but in her mind it would be worth it.

She'd see if they made it out of the state and then make up her mind, she had her doubts about whether to tell. In some ways it only sounded like a pipe dream and she was worried the group would think so too. She'd never cared about what people thought of her _"_until now, it was an extremely important part of surviving, she needed them more than they needed her.

Thankfully the group trusted her now which was a step in the right direction, Rick trusted her enough that she and Daryl had been sent out on several scavenging missions. Something Michonne glad for, she needed to more than 'women's work' and he didn't function on unnecessary emotion, or at least he didn't feel the need to discuss it with anyone.

Because as much as she loved Andrea, sometimes she needed a break from girl talk and emotional admissions.

"I lost my daughters" Michonne admitted, she was on guard with Andrea on the front porch. She just blurted it out, but it had been on her mind for a long time

_"Oh Michonne, I'm so sorry" the blonde exclaimed_

_"I've never wanted to admit it before. I feel like I failed them" she huffed, she was having trouble just admitting her failure as parent_

_"You didn't fail them, the bastards that created the virus failed them, they failed world. It took me a long time to stop blaming myself for Amy's death, until I realized that whether I'd been there or not she would have been bitten. We all let our guards down and Amy wasn't the only one to pay for it." the blonde had spoken passionately, it had only helped Michonne a little._

She'd cut the conversation short only revealing a few details, it hadn't felt right to tell Andrea any more than that.

She got into the driver's seat, her katana was still strapped to her back, she never let it get away from her. Andrea and Carol were in the back seat quietly discussing Carol's concerns for Daryl, who had chosen to ride his motorcycle.

"He'll be fine, he's a strong guy. He can take care of himself." Andrea reassured the worried woman

"I don't know Daryl like you do but he seems like a smart guy, he'll be fine." the former lawyer said as she started the car, following the few cars of the groups convoy led by Daryl's motorcycle; down the driveway as they left the Greenes farm behind, most likely forever.

The group set out on their intended path to Tennessee, Michonne stayed silent as Andrea and Carol chatted quietly; their attention turning to what they missed about the world

"I miss being able to shower without having a buddy with me" Andrea smiled wistfully

"Depends on who the someone is if you ask me" Carol chuckled "I wouldn't mind being Daryl's shower buddy"

The two women started to laugh as Michonne ignored the feeling of jealousy that filled her; she hadn't realized how much she wished she had someone. At least that was what she put the jealousy down to; she didn't know Daryl well enough to think otherwise.

"I don't know, I think I'd rather be Rick's shower buddy" the blonde cackled "what about you Michonne? Rick or Daryl?"

"Well, neither of them would have been my type before the end of the world" She paused for a moment, collecting her already muddled thoughts "Rick" she said simply as Daryl's named raced through her mind.

"Get in line Meesh" Andrea teased

"he's all yours."

They drove for at least four and a half hours before the convoy came to a halt; every one exited their cars gathering around Daryl who had come back through the blockade of cars.

"There's too much to moved, we're going to have to travel through the farm land" he frowned looking around the group, Carl and Beth were on guard either side of the group of cars as Michonne stood with Andrea and Carol

"How do we know the land isn't overrun?" Andrea spoke up

"we could send a couple of people to check" Rick suggested

"I'll go, my weapon is silent and I'm a hell of a lot quieter than yew lot" the redneck let out a small chuckle, something Michonne wasn't used too, she'd been greeted with so much contempt by Daryl and the other survivors.

She had never blamed them for that she just wasn't used to the familiar manner he approached the group with "well you're not going alone" Carol spoke up this time startling everyone "I'll go, I can shoot now, we've got the silencers."

Michonne wasn't sure if her own shocked registered on her face, she was generally able to keep a straight, somewhat stoic face.

"We ain't using no guns Carol" Daryl sighed "you can't defend yourself hand to hand and I ain't take that risk"

"Well what about Michonne" Rick suggested

"I'm up for that" she said calmly, nervous anticipation bubbling in her the pit of her stomach

"Fine by me" Daryl eyed her, the weariness she'd gotten used to was completely gone

"be careful and keep watch" the leader said firmly

"Yew preaching to the choir Grimes" the hunter replied with a laugh.

The two of them set off on a quiet trek along the road and toward the thick forest that surely surrounded farms, there was a driveway through the middle of the forest as the two silently agreed to follow it, so far there had been no walkers and things were looking up.

They could possibly go through the farm land until they reached the other side of the pile up and head back out onto the road

"You're very chirpy today" Michonne finally spoke; she'd stayed relatively silent in the car and most of the time she didn't feel the need to chat.

"Guess it's good to get away from that farm, never felt right being there again. Not after everything that happened before, we lost people."

"Sure seemed to me that something might happen there again if we stayed too long" She responded with a shrug, she always trusted her gut and her gut had been saying that they should leave since they arrived.

Michonne wanted to rely on the group to make the right decisions, because she wanted to be a part of the family the group had formed. She'd lost the most important people in her life so now she had to find a new reason live, sure she had adapted but she was surviving just to survive in a sense.

Up until Woodbury Andrea had been one of the reasons she worked hard to keep them both alive and safe, she'd felt a little lost after leaving Woodbury and when she'd seen Maggie and Glenn she somehow knew who they were. They were part of a group that was clearly surviving; she probably wouldn't have ended up at the prison if it weren't for Merle kidnapping the young couple.

So Merle had actually given her the opportunity to join this group, after trying to kill her none the less.

They kept walking, finally reaching a clearing in the forest, a decrepit farm house sat in the distance, it shutters sat askew, and the house that used to be pale yellow was now covered in the dirt which was noticeable from a distance. The grass was overgrown around them, which was always a risk when walking. Walkers didn't have to have legs to bite and their coordination was terrible so it was possible that some might be lurking in the grass.

They stopped in their tracks taking in the farm land around them, the vast land spread out ahead of them, they could definitely drive through this area easily.

Suddenly a shot rang out and Michonne felt a searing pain hit her shoulder as she dropped to the ground, she blinked rapidly up at Daryl who was frantically trying to keep her attention.

"Michonne…MICHONNE stay with me, I'll get yew back to the others" he tapped her face lightly

She watched as he tore his shirt off tearing it into strips as he lifted her from the ground and tied it tightly around her shoulder as best he could. Behind him she could see movement but she was having a hard time speaking.

"Daryl..." she muttered in alarm

"Yer okay" he said quietly in an attempt to reassure her

"Behind you…" she muttered again, only one stepped away from unconsciousness.

The hunter turned his head in time to see the man running toward them "Get the hell of my land!" the man yelled, his tone was threatening and even in her half-conscious state Michonne knew they had to be going.

A warm pair of arms and an inviting woodsy smell embraced her, she felt herself being picked up, and then the world went black.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Feedback pleaseeee, how do you think I'm doing with Daryl and Michonne's characters?**

Daryl grunted as he ran with Michonne in his arms, he was getting tired but he couldn't stop. The psycho bastard from the farm was still chasing after them, as if they were going to turn around an attack them. Despite the fact that he was heading toward the outskirts of the property, the man with the serious gun still running behind them. He was faster than a walker but Daryl had noticed a limped as he'd approached. His face was scarred and his eyes reflected distrust and anger,

"Your group already took everything of mine!" the man yelled "did the Governor send you back here? Just stay the hell away!"

The man had backed off once they reached the end of the driveway, probably too exhausted to follow. Daryl was feeling the same. Michonne was far from heavy but maintaining a decent pace whilst carrying a dead weight had left his arms very weary.

Back before he knew and trusted her, he _might_ have considered leaving her behind, it wasn't exactly noble but he had to think of the others. They were his family and they came first, he was surprised and how easily he accepted the former lawyer, she was his opposite in so many ways.

Though unlike his brother her skin colour had never been a factor in whether he trusted her or not; after spending months with Glenn and T-Dog race had stopped being something he thought of.

His distrust came from the fact that she'd shown up at the prison with baby formula and informed the group that Glenn and Maggie had been taken; she turned up at their place and told them that their family had been taken.

The group had no idea whether to trust her, she was a stranger and she'd shown up covered in blood, who knew whether she'd killed them. That sword of hers was lethal and he'd had no intention of turning his back on her.

Then there was the silence, he'd felt uncomfortable under her scrutinizing stare, she watched everyone like a hawk and it hadn't sat well with him. She didn't want to reveal much, not even her name.

But she'd taken them to the Woodbury and she helped them get their people back, when she left them after that he was relieved, they could go back to normal.

He'd been surprised to see her in the forest that day on her own, she'd looked upset and it had left him feeling oddly concerned for her. There was no suspicion which was so unlike him, it had freaked him out and he'd tried to keep his distance.

Daryl kept running deciding it was time to suck it up, her blood was seeping through the makeshift bandage he'd made from his shirt and it was starting to run down his chest. As he ran toward the where the group was waiting he found himself beginning to panic, Hershel was dead, Maggie and Carol had minimal medical knowledge, learnt from a veterinarian.

"DARYL!" Rick called running his direction "What happened?" the former sheriff took Michonne from his arms.

"Some bastard shot 'er from a distance an' chased us off the farm" he answered following them, he didn't like the loss of contact or the fact that his stomach was in his throat.

Rick carried her to the truck and placing her in the open back as he barked orders to everyone else.

Maggie, Beth and Carol approached the truck, each climbing into the bed of the truck; Beth carried the medical supplies with her.

"I can do it" the teenager sounded nervous "I read some medical textbooks in the prison and Daddy gave me a few demonstrations before the battle, we wanted to be prepared so we could help everyone."

The relief washed through Daryl once the girl was finished speaking, he felt responsible for Michonne getting shot. Why hadn't the guy shot him? He was worthless compared the woman with him, she was strong, smart and beautiful.

He cringed when the world beautiful entered his thoughts, he wasn't some sappy bastard who was about to be sucked in by some woman. She probably didn't even think he was worth anything?

"_Yer fooling yerself Darylina" _Merle's voice sounded in his mind _"aint no way any of this group cares about ya, ya aint nothing more than a food stamp"_

He shook his head trying to rid it of the Merle filled thoughts "Daryl…where's Daryl?" Michonne's voice broke him out of his trance

"I'm right here 'Chonne" he climbed into the now very crowded bed of the truck, he took Maggie's spot by her head as the eldest Greene sibling climbed off to make room "ain't no need to worry about me, yer the one with a bullet in yer shoulder, gonna have a hard time workin' the sword."

"I'll be fine" she said through gritted teeth the determination was in her voice.

"I'm sorry Michonne this is going to hurt, I'm going to get the bullet out" Beth spoke timidly

"Daryl, can you hold her down?" Carol instructed, sensing the teens hesitation in giving him directions.

"Sure" he moved his hands to brace her arms and upper body allowing Beth access to Michonnes shoulder.

As she fished around in the bullet wound Daryl found himself impressed by Michonnes lack of reaction, she clenched her fists and body tensed slightly but her face looked completely relaxed. She either had an extremely high pain tolerance or she was trying to act tough.

He watched has her eyes fluttered shut a few minutes later as the pain became too much for her to handle, he was reluctant to break the warm contact he had with skin as he watched her chest slowly rise and fall.

He would be lying to himself if he said he hadn't noticed her subtle curves, she was lean and healthy looking. Her arms were muscular and he could see defined abs. He continued to shamelessly admire her body as the other women concentrated on patching her up. Hell he was a red blooded male and no harm was coming of it.

Daryl found himself wondering if she'd been curvier before, maybe she'd lost the weight since the walkers took over and she'd toned up from wielding the sword.

He'd certainly lost weight in the last year or so, his diet wasn't totally different to what it was before, except now he ate less than before and his diet was no longer supplemented with other foods.

The women finished patching Michonne up with nothing more to do "Daryl can you carry her around the backseat, she can lay in there" Carol instructed, he saw the amused twinkle in her eye and he knew he'd been caught staring.

There was no way he would put up with any shit from her, he was just looking and there wasn't any harm in that.

He got out of the bed of the truck reluctantly letting go of the woman for the moment, once he was steady on his feet he scooped her into his arms holding her tight as he carried her around the truck placing her gently in the back of the car, careful to lay her comfortably way on the back seat.

Michonne let out a groan and opened her eyes slowly "Where am I?"

"yer in Ricks truck, Beth managed to remove the bullet, now yew gotta rest." He shrugged, he wanted to seem casual instead worried

"That blood on your chest…it's not yours is it?" her tone was held concern that surprised Daryl, he didn't really understand why she would be concerned for him.

He was just some worthless redneck; why else would Merle pick the Governor over him? His father never gave a shit about him, beat him to a pulp he despised him so much. His brother never tried to stop it either.

"Naw, its yers, haven't had a chance to clean up. I'm jus' glad yer okay" he shrugged, bowing his head as he bit his thumb nail.

"Thank you for savin' me, I know it's taken sometime for you to trust me" she said quietly

"Ain't no need ta thank me, I'd do it fer anyone" maybe just maybe he was a tiny bit more frantic about Michonne…maybe.

He figured it was because she let him do what he needed, without having to be unnecessarily chatty with her and she knew what to do in dangerous situations. He respected her, more than some of the others in the group, she was observant and obviously smart; he'd heard Andrea and Michonne swapping stories about when they were lawyers.

In that moment he'd never felt more inferior, not that anyone would ever find out. He wondered if the woman in front of him had picked up on how he felt about himself.

"Doesn't matter who you would or wouldn't do it for; I'm still thankful you saved me. I've never been so scared in my life" she said, her voice taking on a softer tone

"Well yer safe now, yew got people lining up 'round the block wanting tah protect yew"

"Look who's at the front of the line" she chuckled before letting out a pained groan

"Well I already beat everyone to it bringing yew back here so I get first choice" he joked, it was almost unnatural for him.

"I'm glad you're first in line" he felt his stomach flip when she smiled at him, something he had never seen before.

Women weren't interested in Daryl Dixon, back home he had simply been Merle Dixon's younger brother and no one wanted anything to do with either of them. His brother picked up drunk woman in the bar and did a tap and run. Daryl however was a source of great shame, he'd never had sex and worse than that, he'd never been kissed. He was fast approaching 40, trying to survive in a world full of the walking dead he was certain he'd never change that.

"Get in the other side…" she practically commanded

He nodded and shut the door of the truck before making his way to the other side of the car climbing in as she adjusted her legs.

"Yew can put yer legs on my lap, yer the injured one" he offered.

She lifted her booted feet allowing them to rest on his knees "I must admit, that's much better than layin' on my side."

It was from that moment that they sat in companionable silence, they were both happy with the situation. Daryl stared out the window, deciding he'd let his guard down for far too long, he'd have to protect them both after all.

He listened as Michonnes breathing slowed and it was clear she'd fallen asleep, though this was truly unique situation; he'd never known anyone who wanted his company enough to request it. It didn't sit quite right with him and it would take a lot of getting used too.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Do you like the development between them?**

Michonne had spent far too many days cramped up in the back of Rick's truck, Daryl and Andrea had been the two people who'd spent the most time with her. She was thankful for their company, the comfortable silence Daryl offered and the friendly, chit chat that Andrea offered.

Their convoy had moved onto some empty farmland in the opposite direction to where she had been shot, they'd made sure the area was safe and allowed her the time to heal.

"Yew look bored 'Chonne, how 'bout a walk" Daryl asked as he opened the door behind her

"That would be a nice change" she smiled lifting her head to look at him

"Need any help?"

"Yes please, just need help sitting up…" she answered, she hated that she needed other people to help her sit up; relying on people like this was the bane of her existence. She had Andrea, Maggie and Carol guiding her to the bathroom, Rick and Daryl helping her out of the car and everyone bringing her food every so often. She was grateful for their help; it was a nice feeling knowing she was so important to them that they took care of her.

Daryl slipped his arms under her body his palms flat on her back as he sat her up slowly "yew alright?"

"Yeap" she huffed in pain as she allowed her body weight to rest against him to try and gather her composure "I hate this" she muttered

"Which part?" the redneck questioned

"Relying on other people to protect me, to feed me, even to walk" she sighed as he pulled her to feet

"Yew won't be down fer too long 'Chonne" Daryl smiled in an attempt to reassure her, it worked a little.

They started a slow walk around the temporary camp that had been set up, she spotted Sasha and Beth chatting as Carl sat to the side looking a little left out. Since Tyreese's group had joined them the girls had made fast friends. They'd been taking turns at caring for baby Judith when Rick or Carl weren't in the picture, it was a refreshing sight for Michonne, and there was some semblance of happiness in the camp. She had noticed the underlying tension in the group, they had yet to make it out of Georgia and the closer they got to the border the harder it was getting.

"I had an idea…" she finally spoke up having been lost in her thoughts; she knew Daryl didn't mind the silence "I don't think we're going to make it out of Georgia, it's time we accept that and try to adapt."

The hunter nodded and looked on waiting for more "I think we should head to the coast and either settle on the coast by the beach, start building a proper living there or we find an island and we gather as many supplies as possible, find a viable boat and we move onto the island." She paused for a moment hoping the idea didn't sound farfetched to Daryl "we clear off the island and we take crop supplies, Maggie and Beth know the basics of that and we grow our own food. We take as many supplies as we can for every variable we can think off. It's hardly like there are any boat owners to object. We could have boats handy so if we deemed it necessary to make trips to the mainland we could. Fact is Walkers can't swim which means we'd be safe there and we could make it our own."

Michonne watched Daryl intently as he seemed to process what she was saying "that's a pretty good idea, give us one more week to try an' get out of Georgia an' if we don't then yew make pitch to the group" he gave her another smiled which made her heart rate increase and her stomach flip. Surely that was because he liked her idea…right?

"alright, you've got yourself a deal" she smiled in his direction.

They walked a few more slow laps of the small camp, she could feel a few people's eyes on them. She figured it was due to the fact that Daryl spent most of his time with Carol, they weren't used to the change and frankly neither was she.

She enjoyed the time she spent with the man walking beside her, they could talk if they wanted too but it wasn't a forced thing. They were slowly getting closer; she knew it'd be a long arduous process for the two of them, mainly because neither was willing to open up to the other, Michonne knew on her part that she felt it would be a sign of weakness so she'd kept her feelings and her emotions bottled up. She found the alone time she needed and she let them out; the only person who had seen her lose it in the time since she'd joined the group was Daryl.

"I think it's time I take some rest" she finally admitted, she finally acknowledged the fact that she couldn't last any longer, she had been pushing it already by about the third lap.

"How about we sit in the back of the truck? It's elevated so yew'll be safe and then I'll get Andrea to come sit with yew." He offered, he didn't allow her the opportunity to speak as he picked her up bridal style, the familiar warmth and comfort she felt from being in his arms was a feeling she enjoyed. She had to admit she enjoyed it, what it actually meant to her and to him were entirely separate things. She held onto him with her good arm as he climbed up into the back of the truck and crossed the small distance placing her in one of the two seats.

"Why don't you stay?" she said as he turned to leave

He turned his head to look at her and shook it "Can't Rick needs my help with a few things, I'll see yew later"

He left before she could protest, the disappointment stirring in her as she watched his retreating figure, why'd he scarper like that? She didn't fully understand.

"What are you staring at?" Andrea questioned, startling her

"Nothing really, just thinking" she gave a one shouldered shrug as she turned her head to look at the blonde

"You and Daryl seem to be getting along well" her friend commented

"I think he's just doing it because he feels guilty" she answered hoping Andrea would let it drop.

There was nothing between the two of them they were something that words didn't quite capture the situation, they weren't what you'd call friends but they shared a bond. It was a bond that she couldn't describe adequately, they shared a set of values on how to survive in this world and they were certainly quite comfortable in one another's company or at least she thought so.

"Carol doesn't like it, whatever it is" her friend let out a sigh, since she'd been back with the group she'd strived for everyone to get along

"I figured she might not like it but I think Daryl's just acting out of obligation" she hated the idea of being someone's obligation "either way, it ain't my fault nor is it my business."

"She'll get over it; she just needs to talk it out with Daryl. They're close and she's feeling a little forgotten"

"I don't think he's forgotten her" she shrugged, she'd never tell Andrea but she was jealous. Jealous that they cared for one another so much, she'd lay money on the fact that they loved each other. She wasn't sure of the context of their love, it could be a sibling love, it could be a parent child situation or it could be romantic. The idea of them being in a romantic relationship made her jealous, she'd be lying if she said it was only because she craved companionship.

_**Daryl's POV**_

He walked away from the truck feeling a little relieved; he was a little overwhelmed by how he felt about Michonne, he was fond of her. It was a complete 360 compared to how he felt about her when she first arrived, he felt nothing but admiration for her now. He admired her strength both physically and mentally.

She was someone who wanted to protect herself; she didn't even want to rest right now. He knew exactly how she felt, after being stuck in bed at the farm, he wanted to go out searching for Sophia but he couldn't physically do it. Nothing had frustrated him more than that.

Daryl was thankful for Carol's intervention and her support since then. They were closer with one another than he was with anyone else because they were so similar, they'd made each other stronger and he loved her. To him she was like the mother he never had, she made him feel important and valued.

"Daryl." He heard the voice of the very woman he'd been thinking of coming from behind him

"Carol" he turned to greet her with a smile

"Are you alright? You look confused"

"I'm fine, don't worry about it" he gave her a shrug

"Michonne hasn't upset you has she?" the tone of protectiveness clear in her voice

"nope, jus' feelin' a little guilty because she got shot and I didn't" he finally admitted, it'd been on his mind the last few days."

"Oh Daryl, it's not your fault" Carol moved closer and placed her hand on his arm "that farmer was just shooting someone and Michonne happened to be in the firing line. Is that why you're with her so much?"

"Yes an' no" he admitted bowing his head

"you like her don't you" Carol taunted playfully

"maybe" he shrugged, he could get pissed off but it was more trouble than what it was worth "anyway, yew ain't one tah talk, I seen yah flirting with Tyreese" he chuckled

"don't turn this around on me Daryl Dixon" she grinned

"Am I gunna have ta give him tha talk? Treat Carol right or else…" he grinned back at her

"You better not or Michonne might find herself having the same talk with me, don't think I haven't seen you looking at her. She watches you too, more than she watches anyone else" she smiled, the playfulness turning into a more caring tone "if there's something there then you should go for it, there's no shame in taking it slow. I plan on seeing what happens with Tyreese."

Carol left Daryl with a lot to think about, were things heading in that direction with Michonne? It was hard for him to imagine. He'd already been over every reason why she was so much better than him and it was all that ran through his head when he was with her sometimes. He wondered if she dumbed down her conversation for him, he was just a dumb redneck with nothing above a high school diploma and that alone had been a damn miracle, between Merle's stints in juvie and jail as well as his own troubles with the law and with his brother It was a feat that he'd made it to graduation alive.

He watched as Andrea got out of the back of the truck and decided it was his turn to sit with Michonne again, he'd never know anything if he did try to explore it.

"Hey 'Chonne, saw Andrea leaving and decided to take yew up on yer offer if it still stands" he smiled as he climbed into the back of the truck.

"Course it does Daryl, take a seat. All the girl talk has done my head, if you ask me it's all overrated. I'd rather talk to you" she gave him a bright beautiful smile, one that left him a little awestruck.

Maybe Carol was onto something, there was only one way to find out and he doing it right now.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So here we are, Chapter 8 coming soon, thoughts on this chapter?**

Michonne couldn't help but smile as she got out of the car, her shoulder was a lot better, allowing her the chance to start taking care of herself. She knew she'd be told off by at least Andrea for not getting anyone's help but in all honesty it was time to suck it up and get moving.

She wasn't nearly as exhausted anymore, she could walk around as much as she wanted and she could sit up on her own.

"Well look at yew 'Chonne, all up and about" Daryl smiled as he approached

"It's about damn time if you ask me" she chuckled

"don't start thinkin' yer ready to pull yer sword out just yet Last Samurai, we ain't got time fer ripped stiches an' all that drama" the teasing tone in his voice made her feel a little giddy.

"I ain't moron enough to try using my katana yet, but things might change tomorrow" she laughed, she realized the more time they spent together the more she picked up the words he used. She'd used the word 'Ain't' from time to time but since she'd started spending time with Daryl and the group she found herself using it a lot more.

His thick accent made her heart flutter a little; she hadn't felt that nervous, pre relationship anticipation in a really long time. She'd been with Mike for 2 years and living with him for a year and a half, that nervous anticipation had been gone after the first month of dating. Not that she would call her friendship with Daryl the lead up to a relationship, hell who was she trying to convince? She knew she wanted to be more than friends with the man and the feeling terrified her.

He certainly wasn't the relationship 'Type', she could see his physical and emotional scars, both of which made her afraid of hurting the man. He had changed a lot, he was stronger and more confident. If she hurt him, she wasn't sure he'd ever forgive her for it. Michonne knew she was thinking way too far ahead, it wasn't going to be an easy ride to relationshipville. She'd have to tread carefully and help Daryl overcome his problems, if it meant waiting then she would wait.

"That's what I like tah hear, as much as I'd like ta start leavin' yew to fend fer yerself it's not time yet." He let out a hearty chuckle; the sound of his laughter was something she always enjoyed.

"Thanks again for saving me Daryl" she smiled, placing her hands on his shoulders as she leant up to kiss him on the cheek.

His face reflected shock and slight discomfort, it wasn't something he was expecting or something she really thought through. She certainly didn't do it to make him uncomfortable.

"Ain't nothin' tah thank me fer, I'd do it fer anyone" he finally shrugged, she'd watched as he'd waged an internal war with himself. She could only hope that he actually liked and that was the side he was arguing for and not against.

Michonne finally made eye contact with him holding his gaze for as long as she could, she could see a hint of confusion and maybe a little longing but she wasn't sure, all her assumptions about this man's emotions could be completely wrong. For all she knew, she could have been wrong about him all together.

"I'm going to go see if they need any help with Judith" Michonne gave Daryl a smile and left him to mull over things by himself.

She walked to the tent that belonged to Rick, Carl and Judith, peaking her head in the tent flap to find Beth sitting holding the baby.

"Michonne, Hi, You're up!" she exclaimed, obviously pleased by what she'd done for the former lawyer

"And it's all thanks to you" Michonne gave her a thankful smile "would you like to take a break? I'm happy to take care of Judith if you would."

"Only if you're up to it" the small blonde smiled, Michonne admired the warmth and friendliness that emanated from the girl, and she also admired how much she'd stepped up to take care of baby Judith with Carol. It was something an ordinary teenage girl shouldn't have to do but she could see the love in Beth's eyes.

"I'm up to it, don't worry Doc" she gave the young girl a wink as she stood up and placed Judith in the crib.

"Thank you Michonne" the girl left the tent as Michonne approached the makeshift crib, 'Lil Asskicker' was written on the side, the name made her smile, she knew that had to have come from Daryl. No one else would come up with that, it was sweet and another thing that made her more attracted the redneck.

"Hey Sweetheart, aren't you a lucky little baby" she cooed at the baby who was awake, her hair was slowly thickening and it was the same colour as Carls, she had big blue eyes that had to be the product of Rick's DNA. There was no way she wasn't Rick's daughter. She smiled at the thought of Judith and the fact the baby in front of her had won the hearts of the entire camp; there was no person who wouldn't die protecting her; they all adored her. She represented hope, hope for a world free of walkers, hope for a world where Judith and Carl are raising their own children in a safe environment.

Judith simply giggled in response to the woman looking down at her, reaching out her chubby little hands in an attempt to grab at her. That was what had Michonne picking her up and cradling her carefully in her arms. Holding Judith made her think of her daughters, she had hated when the girls were no longer babies, they had grown way too fast for her liking. The first two years of a child's life were the most important, Babies were like sponges and they adapted and learnt new things. They learnt to hold their heads up, to sit, then to crawl and once they were walking there was no stopping them. She hoped to see these milestones with the little girl in her arms.

"_WALKERS!" _

Michonne snapped into action right away, her sword had already been on her back, though she was injured, it never left her side. She picked up the sling that Beth used to carry Judith and pulled it over her good shoulder before placing the baby in it and securing her. All she could hear were grunts, groans and shots being fired. The groans were dying down but the movement she could hear, near and around the tent were making her uneasy. She pulled her katana from its sheath and stepped through the flap, Judith had fallen asleep in the sling, unaware of the chaos surrounding them. Michonne was thankful to see a lone walker approached them. Thankful wasn't the right word but she was relieved that the commotion was coming from further away than she thought.

The walker approaching her was one of the more disturbing ones she'd seen, she could barely tell if the walker had been male or female it was so emaciated and the clothes that had once covered it's torn up body were now tatty, bloodied rags, it's chest had been ripped open and it was missing an eye and the flesh around it. Michonne raised the sword carefully, aware that she'd have to fight. She stabbed it directly through the hole that was once considered its eye socket, piercing the brain before it dropped to the ground. The thud caught three more walkers' attention, their pace quickened at the sight of fresh meat and they separately let out hungered guttural growls as they approached.

She raised the sword again slicing of the two closest walkers heads off in quick succession, she winced in pain as she felt her stiches rip and her shirt sticking to the reopened wound. The third walker was ambling uncomfortably close, as she went to raise the sword, she lowered just as quickly as the searing pain in her shoulder was too much for her to handle.

"HELP! I HAVE JUDITH!" she shouted, gaining the attention of the survivors closest to her. She hadn't been sure who was around her but the relief washed through her as she watched an arrow penetrate the walkers head in front of her. She let out the breath she'd been holding, there were no walkers near her and the walkers that were left were being quickly dispatched by the other members of the group. Daryl had made his way to where she was, standing guard with the crossbow raised. There were no more walkers coming but this meant the group had no choice but to move, they had made too much noise to stay.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked Daryl as he turned to face, he had blood spattered over him but she couldn't see any bites or scratches.

"Everyone's fine, are yew okay? Looks like yew ripped yer stitches, now what did I tell yah 'bout waitin'" he teased

"It's a little sore but I had no choice" she winced at the thought alone "sure does seem like you jinxed me Daryl" she chuckled, the pain she was in was overshadowed by light atmosphere that existed between them, made the pain fade into the background.

"Maybe I did, yer pretty good though, protecting Judith and yerself with a bad shoulder. Yer givin' me a run fer my money" he laughed.

"I don't know about that" she smiled, looking past Daryl as Rick approached. She took Judith out from the sling and handed her to him "don't worry, she's just fine"

She and Daryl watched as he embraced his baby daughter, she was still fast asleep, oblvious tot eh goings on as she cuddled into his chest.

Carl approached his father and sister "Thanks Michonne" the father and son said in unison.

"It's not a problem" she smiled at the two of them, deciding to walk away and leave them to it.

"Come on, lets get yew to Beth or Carol and get that patched up." Daryl said grabbing her good arm and dragging her toward Carol.

"What can I do for you?" Carol smiled, the woman looked completely calm despite what had just happened

"She broke her stitches and needs some pain meds" he answered for her

"Why don't you go to my Cherokee, the meds are in there" the woman smiled at Daryl

"Sure whatever." He shrugged and left the two of them.

"So, you and Daryl huh?" Carol questioned once he was out of earshot

"I guess, I mean we aren't anything yet. I don't know how to approach this, Daryl isn't like any other guy I've known and I don't want to hurt him." She answered honestly, Carol was the only person who knew Daryl better than her.

"Well, you've just got to take it slowly, he isn't as fragile as he used to be but I think you can see that he needs nurturing. A bit of TLC really, he doesn't know what it's like to have someone care for him romantically. It'll be tough but I think you're the one who can knock down those final few walls" Carol answered before she set to work, re-stitching Michonnes bullet wound "Don't coddle him but don't throw him in the deep end."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey Everyone! New Chapter! Hope you like it!**

Daryl followed Rick to his truck, they were set to head off the next day and have one more try at crossing the border. No one had hope that it would happen and spirits were low, the hunter felt as if it was his job to change that. Michonnes idea was still in the back of his mind, it was a pretty solid plan if they could get to the coast safely and then find the right boat.

Daryl had been considering trying to get a barge, it would be difficult but that way they could take their vehicles to the island in case any survivors showed up and tried to take them. They could also use the barge to transport the dead walkers back to the main land.

It was certainly worth considering, though he still had hope of getting out of state and finding somewhere safe to live, maybe they could find a rich gated community, they could make it a community for all survivors. It would take some time to do but they could start the clear out like the prison, form groups and start from there.

"We really need to get moving again" Rick sighed "I don't know how we're going to get to Tennessee"

Daryl stared down at the map following the routes in his mind; they'd tried all but one of them, it would be their last chance to get out of Georgia.

"We can follow this route, it's the only one we haven't been down" he pointed at the place on the map as the former sheriff nodded, they would have to drive 120 miles west and then start heading north, they'd cut around all major towns and drive through more farm surrounded highway, there were likely to be cars in the way but provided there were only a few walkers around they'd be able to clear a path.

"Looks good, we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning. Provided we take no more than a couple of stops on the way, we should be able to reach the boarder in less than two days" he sounded hopeful, something that lifted Daryl's spirits a little "I'm going to inform Tyreese of the plan."

The man he considered his brother gave him a nod and left, Daryl felt strange thinking of Rick as his brother. He felt as if he was betraying Merle for even thinking it, Rick had been a better man to him than Merle ever was. His big brother couldn't get away fast enough when he was at the right age; He left Daryl to take the beatings, the drunken nights and the pain. Merle simply had not cared enough to save him too.

"What's on your mind?" Michonnes voice came from beside him, startling him, he wasn't used to how careful and quiet she was with her movements compared to the rest of the group.

"just thinkin' 'bout Merle" he shrugged, he was entirely sure what made him want to reveal all to Michonne

"What about him?" she stood close, closer than most people do

"Jus' about how bad of a brother he was, I never understood why he didn't take me with him when he left" he admitted

"How old was he?" she questioned, her voice turning quiet and sombre

"17, he just up and left as soon as he could. Pa had been beating Merle and sometimes me whenever he got the chance, Ma was already dead so no one stopped him. Didn't help that sometimes Merle took his aggression out on me as well, about a third of these scars would be from Merle, the rest were from Pa. When Merle left Pa was furious when he came home and found him gone, took it out on me, and gave me the worst beating of my life." His heart was in his throat as he tried to hide the emotion coming through in his tone "I never really forgave Merle for that, I always thought blood was thicker than water, made him more important than he shoulda been, but he was still my brotha; I couldn't stop caring or hoping." A single tear ran down his face as he wiped it away

"You didn't deserve any of it, I hope you know that" she said quietly, her hand coming to rest on his forearm. He couldn't ignore the indescribable feeling that coursed through him at their contact. He didn't really understand it either, what was she doing? What was so different?

He couldn't find the words to answer her in that moment, his thoughts racing; he couldn't keep a single thought long enough to form a sentence.

"Your father was an asshole and Merle was selfish. My father was an asshole too, except I had a mother who took me and my siblings away from that situation" to say Daryl was surprised by this was an understatement, he'd built Michonne up to be somewhat of a higher being, she was smart, she was pretty, she'd had a family and career. She wasn't like him.

"When I was 10, I walked through the school gates with my sisters to find my mother waiting for us, the car was all packed up with as much stuff as she could possibly take for five people. We left and never looked back. Seemed like my father was happy to see us gone because he never came knocking." She sighed "My siblings were young enough to block out all the bad memories, though most of them would've been me taking the beating for them."

"Yew were beat by yer father? Ain't never seen any scars on yew" he studied her as she smiled meekly at him before lifting her shirt to turning her back to him

"See the scar on my left shoulder, that was one of the worse beatings I took, he used a belt, didn't stop for at least 10 minutes." He studied the scar carefully, likening it to the ones on his back; he'd taken more than his fair share of beatings with the belt as well. "It was usually mum first and then me if he was extra angry, or if one of the girls managed to piss him off just by being a kid, it was one of them but I always stepped in, took the beating instead" she sighed as she dropped her shirt, Daryl guessed she'd lost her siblings too.

They stood in silence, both unsure of what to say, their stories were the same yet different, Daryl couldn't help but wonder if he'd have been saved from all those beatings had their mother not drunk herself into a stupor every night. He tried not to remember her negatively; he wanted something from his childhood to be positive, his good memories were vague but he cherished them.

"You were lucky" Daryl said quietly, he wished his mother hadn't turned to alcohol, maybe she'd have saved at least him.

"I know, never went a day without thanking my mum and working hard for her" he watched as a sad smile formed on her face "Just wish I could've saved her, and the girls."

He didn't react when her warm hand slipped into his, he didn't really know how to react, and he'd never had a girlfriend. Merle usually scared them away when he was a teenager and then he became reclusive. Women had never been important until now, he noticed himself thinking about her almost all the time. She mattered more to him than a lot of people, it was a different type of caring with her, the others we're family but they didn't make his heart rate speed up, he didn't want to hold them tight and never let go.

He felt like a teenager all over again, he felt nervous, excited and somewhat scared; it was as if holding hands was a crime.

It didn't help that they were both private people in a world where there was no privacy or safety in secrets. It was bad enough that Carol knew of his feelings or at least had a fair idea of what was going on, the idea of being the source of the group's gossip irked him.

"Michonne, Daryl, can you guys come over here, Maggie and I have some news." Glenn's voice came from the other side of the truck, surprisingly Daryl didn't jump away from Michonne, he knew the Korean wouldn't say anything.

Daryl had already figured out what the announcement would be well before they decided to make it, Maggie was pregnant. It was obvious in his mind but he wasn't about to take the odd glory away from them. She'd looked a little rough around the edges but not upset. At the prison and on the farm they'd certainly made no secret of their rendezvous'.

He didn't let go of Michonnes hand as they walked together, in reality he didn't want to let go.

The group stood in a cluster, everyone keeping a nervous watch "Well…uh…Maggie and I…Maggie is pregnant." Glenn sounded like he might throw up or pass out as the brunette grinned at everyone.

There was a collective round of congratulations; everyone was thrilled for the young couple. Even Daryl had to admit he was pretty happy for them; he knew what they had to do; they had to settle. They had to get out of state, find out what was happening in Tennessee and make sure everyone was safe.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Sorry it's been a little while since I updated! I have started a new course so I've been a little busy. This chapter might jump around a little, so let me know if it fits together alright? As always, all feedback is appreciated and I am extremely eager to find out what you think of this chapter…excuse the lack of editing, it won't happen overnight but it will happen eventually._

_Just one small explanation, I am writing Daryl as Norman imagines him, the awkward virgin. =P so feedback on how I'm doing that would be great!  
_

_Also, should I write in the fact that Michonne had one or two cats? if so, what would you name the cat?_

Michonne smiled to herself as she noticed Daryl glance at her for what had to be the 20th time, it was something both of them did, one would look at the other and the other would quickly look away. Michonne likened it to a chaperoned first date, Beth and Carol sat in the back staring out the windows, both pretending not to notice anything. The silence between Michonne and Daryl was a comfortable one, but the atmosphere in the car reflected how awkward the women in the back must be feeling. They'd been driving for 10 hours, stuck with stopping, weaving and moving vehicles to get where they were going.

Glenn and Maggies announcement had left everyone a lot more motivated to get out of state and find somewhere to settle. They were 20 miles from the border; they were now heading well away from the ocean and Michonne had decided to keep her island idea to herself.

The drive across the border went off without a hitch, the group stayed silent but the excitement was bubbling under the surface, Michonne couldn't help but share in it. They were out in the country at the moment so the true signs of the end of the world were unruly grass, the land was eerily empty which left her feeling uneasy.

The cars ahead were pulling to a sudden halt before making signals to turn around, it wasn't like Michonne to panic but she was worried. Looking ahead she could see a huge herd heading in their direction, they had to get out of there. Daryl was turning the car around leading their convoy away.

The excitement from Beth and Carol had turned to disappointment, it was only bubbling under the surface. They were used to it by now; this life wasn't exactly flowers and rainbows.

After a good hour or so of driving the group was pulling over, Michonne was one of the first out of the car.

"Is everyone alright?" Rick questioned looking around the group that was grouping in the middle of the cars.

There were nods and yes' from the group, who all looked suitably disheartened.

" 'Chone had an idea…" Daryl trailed off, and suddenly Michonne was feeling nervous. She was afraid of being rejected by the group. She'd always been afraid of rejection, which was exactly why she was trying her best not to push Daryl too hard.

"Well I had been thinking before Woodbury that Andrea and I could travel to the coast, find a small island not too far from shore and settle on it" she paused trying to collect her thoughts and make sure her wording was right "we could clear off any walkers and then for food we could grow crops. Maybe even find some solar panels with our other supplies and take them over. It'd be safer than anything, if need be we could come back to the main land when necessary…" she trailed off, raising her head to look around at everyone.

"I like it, we can work out the details on the way" Rick nodded

"Are there any islands off the coast?" Tyreese enquired

"None big enough to be documented on maps but there are some, I've driven the coast and seen a few, there might not be any walkers on them. It don't have to be big, just enough land for crops and some sort of a settlement" She answered honestly

"We'll start heading toward the coast and see what else we can find on the way" Rick stated, he made the decisions and so long as no one protested too much an agreement was always reached. Michonne admired his ability to keep people on side, to speak up and command attention. She used to be like that before the world went to shit, she'd been the best criminal defence lawyer around by the time it started and then she lost everything. Including her confidence and her ability to command attention, she was just the quiet girl now.

The group scattered to their vehicles, preparing to drive further in a different direction out of caution, they were well away from the herd but there was no way they were taking any chances. Carol had insisted on driving to allow Michonne and Daryl some time to rest in the backseat, together. Something that amused Michonne greatly, it was obvious to both her and Daryl that she was trying to push them together. She wasn't remotely subtle about it.

So there they sat, hand in hand, staring out the windows. The car was silent except for Beth quiet snoring. It took Michonne back to one of her last memories of her girls before the walkers took over.

"_Mama, Daddy said we could go to the 'quarium, you wanna come?" Six year old Maria enquired, she preferred to speak in slang, and it was something that she both loved and disliked about her youngest._

"_Sure sweetheart, let me call your daddy and confirm" she ruffled her daughters hair, she was giving her mother a huge grin. She had introduced Maria to Finding Nemo a few months ago and the girl was obsessed, every toy she owned was Nemo or Dory or even Bruce. _

"_It's gonna be so much fun, we can see Nemo!" she exclaimed._

_**A week later **_

"_Mama LOOK IT'S NEMO!" her youngest exclaimed_

"_I want to see Bruce" Rose pouted _

"_We will get to Bruce and his friends soon, don't you worry about it" Shawn comforted their eldest daughter_

"_DORY!" the 6 year old yelled poking the glass as she pointed at the fish_

"_Wow, that's so exciting. Isn't she beautiful" Michonne was genuinely excited for her youngest daughter; this whole situation was far from awkward. She and Shawn were commited to being friends for the girls and so far they were succeeding._

_Both girls were mesmerized by the aquarium and everything that swam in the tanks. She was amused by her eldest daughters loss of determination to be different, to go see Bruce instead. _

She smiled to herself as the memory drifted away, the warmth of Daryl's hand in her own bringing her back to the present.

"I remember when Sophia was 9, she really wanted a puppy but Ed wouldn't let her. When he left for work the next day I took her to an animal rescue centre to visit the dogs and puppies, she was so excited. We did it every week for 2 months" Carol smiled wistfully as she continued driving, Michonne hadn't realized until now that Beth and Carol were talking.

"Poor thing…" the young blonde said quietly

"She's in a better place now" Michonne piped in, though her girls were still walkers she believed the same. Their souls were no longer there.

"With all the puppies in the world and maybe the Ed I knew before we got married" Carol suggested

"I don't know if they're in the same place" Daryl piped in, he wouldn't allow himself to sleep

"I hope they are, I want my baby girl to know a different dad"

"Don't we all" Michonne mumbled

"What is this? The driving club for the abused" Daryl quipped, causing the two women to laugh. Beth just looked confused.

They talked a while longer, Beth piping in every so often with her own stories. Michonne even told stories of her girls, she missed them but she'd come to a point of acceptance. It hadn't been easy but now she had found some semblance of a family she intended to embrace it whole heartedly.

The group found an abandoned farmhouse to settle in for a few days while they decided on a good route to the coast, there were talks of heading into South Carolina if they couldn't reach the Georgia coast safely. The house had 5 bedrooms, one had been appointed to Rick, Carl and Judith, another to Maggie and Glenn, then Carol, Sasha and Beth were to share one, Tyreese was taking watch and then sleeping on a couch though the room with Ben held two beds, things still weren't right between the men. Michonne knew she and Andrea were expected to share a room, she wasn't against the idea of sharing with her friend. Ben was in the final room with two single beds, leaving Daryl to either take that bed or wherever he could find.

"so what's going on with you and Daryl?" Andrea questioned as they both got prepared to settle in for the night

"We're friends" Michonne gave the blonde a shrug, she wasn't about to drop the topic but Michonne would try and avoid an real answer for a while

"Friends who hold hands?" her friend chuckled

"Pretty much" she shrugged "speaking of, mind if he sleeps on this floor in here?"

"Nope, go right ahead" clearly Andrea had decided to leave it, she knew Michonne wasn't much of a talker.

She left the room dressed only in a purple singlet and a pair of shorts, her katana was still slung over her shoulder in its sheath, and she would probably never let her guard down.

"Daryl…" she whispered, there was no one to disturb in the kitchen and dining, the darkness had been her prompt

"What's up 'Chonne?" his voice drifted from the dining, he was either under the table or on it, she couldn't quite tell.

"Just wondering if you want to sleep on the floor in my room, Andrea doesn't care" she said quietly "I mean I can leave you to sleep on your soft comfortable table, but in our room the floors are carpeted" she teased

"That would be nice" she heard movement and watched as Daryl's figure came closer in the dark, he was standing directly in front of her, she could feel his warm breath hitting her cheek

"good…" she whispered.

Leaning up she gave him a soft, small kiss on the lips, it just felt right. Then there was silence, she could see the shocked look on the man's face, her heart was thudding in her chest. This wasn't feeling like the right time anymore.

"I'll see yew up there in a minute" his voice sounded emotional and confused, something she was growing used too.

"Sure…" she said quietly making her way up to the room, she climbed into the bed, pulling the blankets up around her.

About an hour later the door was being opened indicating that Daryl had taken the time he needed to calm down and regain his composure, she closed her eyes and worked on steadying her breathing, the last thing the hunter needed was to feel pressure. She just hadn't been able to get to sleep knowing Daryl wasn't back yet. After a few moments he was hovering over her.

"I don't understand why yew would kiss me and I'd prolly never do this if yew were awake but here goes" she felt warm lips press against her own as she struggled not to return the kiss.

Maybe it had been the right time.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So…sorry for the slight delay, getting a bit busy but I will always try and update. I hope you like this chapter and the development, please let me know what needs to be improved upon and excuse any mistakes. Love you, bye x**

**Michonne's POV**

Michonne woke early the next morning, the bed had been a welcome comfort but it wasn't enough to allow her to sleep through the night. She was far from surprised to find that Daryl had left the room, and found herself frowning unsure as to whether he'd gone hunting.

She climbed out of bed slowly, stretching her wary muscles before slipping on a pair of jeans and vest, she huffed as she pulled the holster around her waist, slipping the hand gun she'd been given into its place along with a silencer. She preferred her sword but her shoulder was still healing. Rick and Daryl had insisted on her using the hand gun, the silencer had been her one condition, it made the gun heavier but she was not putting the rest of the group in jeopardy.

The former lawyer pulled her studded black boots on before slipping out of the room, she crept toward the stairs not wanting to scare anyone nor wake them up. The stairs barely made a sound as she tiptoed down them.

She heard Tyreese's loud snore coming from the living room, which was a clear indicator that Daryl was outside keeping watch. Michonne opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch to find Daryl standing staring out into the fields.

He was wearing another one of his sleeveless shirts, a plain brown one this time, his toned arms were something she'd always admired. He wore his usual baggy pants that carried a lot of miscellaneous stains. It was all most likely a mix of walker blood and squirrel blood. Carol had been a miracle worker in getting a lot of the stains out. She'd probably scrubbed for days to get them out.

It was then that Michonne came to the realization that this had to be the first time that they had been properly alone, with very little risk of being disturbed. He turned to look at her before dropping his head. Maybe it was in shame? She wasn't sure, but she wanted to change that. The silence between them was oddly comfortable; the former lawyer was expecting an awkward atmosphere.

She stood in front of him and raised her hand to stroke his cheek, for the first time he didn't shrink away from her touch as she ran her fingers over his rough stubble. Leaning forward she captured his lips in hers, this time he responded to the kiss, his soft lips moving with her and they drew the kiss out. A warm rush ran through her, as she raised her other hand to cup his face. They finally broke the kiss resting their foreheads against each other's.

She stared into his piercing blue eyes; her heart was pounding, both with nerves and excitement.

They broke apart still staring at one another, neither willing to break the silence, until a low guttural growl did that for them, a long walker approached, it was a man who had recently been turned, the flesh wounds had to be maybe a day or so old, his short hair was missing chunks and his clothes were torn. Michonne pulled her sword from its sheath, stabbing the walker through the eye

"thanks for the terrible timing" she muttered shaking her sword off before returning it to her sheath

"It doesn't matter" the hunter smirked as he stepped in front of her, a sudden burst of confidence surging through him

His warm lips met hers in a desperate kiss, his hands gripping her waist as she moved her hands to the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair as their bodies drew closer, fitting together like one of those sappy romance novels Michonne sometimes read in her spare time before the dead started walking.

They broke the kiss again both out of breath, she felt like a teenager all over again, making out in secret.

"So I guess I'm going to ask this…" she took a deep breath placing her hands on his shoulders "do you want to be my boyfriend?" she felt ridiculous as the words came out of her mouth

"Yes" he answered in an instant, looking just as nervous as she felt

"Do we tell anyone?" she whispered

"Maybe after the first date" he joked, Michonne laughed quietly

"A candlelit dinner for two with venison stakes" she suggested sarcastically with a laugh

"ain't gonna lie, that's the only date I've got in mind" he chuckled

"We don't need dates" she shrugged; they hugged each other tight for what had to be a few minutes.

"Everyone's up, yew better go inside and pretend we aint jus' been makin' out" Daryl whispered with a chuckle as they pulled apart

"that's too bad, I like being alone with you" she whispered back stepping away from him, she hated to create the distance between them but if they were going to attempt to keep things quiet

"feelin's mutual sweetheart" he smiled before walking toward the corner of the porch, she walked to the door heading back inside. She went into the open plan living room and kitchen where Carol and Beth were cooking up some alternative breakfast for the group. Tyreese was sitting at the table watching the women cook. Michonne wasn't even sure she wanted to know what breakfast was this morning.

She went to the book shelf picking out a random book as she flipped through the pages, nothing really caught her eye, and she wasn't even sure what the book was. Her thoughts were stuck on Daryl and she really didn't mind, though she tried to ignore the worry that came to mind, there was still a chance that he would pull away from her.

She sat on one of the frumpy floral couches, getting comfortable in her spot, it was clear not everyone was awake just yet. One of the people still asleep being Andrea, the blonde liked her long sleeps and she was quite a heavy sleeper.

Daryl stomped into the house stopping for a moment to chat with Rick before trudging his way over to the couch and sitting at the opposite end to the former lawyer, this man was confusing.

"You wanna move closer? I don't bite" she teased

"I don't know if I should, I heard yew gurls 'ave got cooties" he chuckled

"you weren't worried before" she whispered with a grin

"yew've got a point 'Chonne" he slid across the couch, their legs were now touching and neither of them minded nor cared if anyone noticed.

"wanna cuddle?" she grinned sarcastically

"Cuddlin' is fer pussies" he chided playfully.

**Daryl's POV**

They sat there like that in comfortable silence as the rest of the group dribbled in one by one, each person letting their eyes sit on he and his girl…_his girl…_a little too long. He was still in shock that Michonne wanted him. Of all the people in the world he was sitting there with her, the most intelligent, beautiful woman he'd ever met. His mother would be proud, before the drinking started he remembered her as gentle and kind woman, if it weren't for his damn father maybe he'd have had a chance to be bought up by her.

He watched as Glenn approached the two of them, looking like he wanted to puke from nerves

"uh…hey guys" he rubbed his hands together looking between them

"there ain't no barn so what's wrong this time?" Daryl couldn't help but tease him

"very funny Daryl, I was just uh hoping one of you would come on a run with me today…I kind of want to propose to Maggie and leave before she wakes up…" he blurted out

"So yew want ta go on a ring run?" Daryl grinned, he was thrilled for them

"pretty much"

"Well then we betta get goin' "

"I was hoping Michonne could come too, I don't know if engagement and wedding rings are your style Daryl…no offense." He smiled at the hunter who simply nodded

"seems like a fine idea, we betta talk to Rick first, see if he needs any help"

The three of them were soon on their way out in Hyundai, Michonne drove with Glenn fidgeting nervously in the passenger's seat and Daryl in the back, smirking every time she raised her eyes to look at him. He was glad to see he wasn't the only one who did that.

"You need to calm down Glenn, Maggie will say yes" Michonne tried reassuring him for what had to be the fifth time "we'll find the perfect rings, get a little baby formula and be back by the afternoon so you can get it done."

"what if she doesn't say yes?" he agonized

"she'll say yes Glenn, she's in love with yew" Daryl added, he was amused by Glenn's nerves but understood them at the same time.

They made it to the small town 20 minutes later, parking on the outskirts. Daryl led the way with his bow, Michonne bought up the rear, sword in hand. If Daryl hadn't seen her take out that walker with her non dominant hand earlier he'd be dragging her back to the car and telling to stay there.

They made it to the jewellery store unscathed, the windows were already smashed but the place was seemingly empty of walkers, as was the town.

Michonne stepped in first ready to take out any walkers but there simply were none.

The odd display unit was smashed but most were surprisingly intact and full of jewellery, Daryl figured no one needed em anymore.

"Why don't we take it all, the girls will love em' and that way Maggie might like to pick her own ring" Michonne suggested.

Daryl surveyed the other displays as Michonne and Glenn started collecting from some others, he found a silver heart shaped locket that he figured might be perfect for the pictures he'd found in Michonne's bag on the first day she arrived. He slipped the locket in his vest pocket deciding to give it to her later before ransacking the display and tipping everything into his bag, it took them 20 minutes to get everything, there was far more than necessary, with the likelihood that most would remain untouched. He figured birthdays, if remembered were covered for the next 50 or so years.

They stopped by the drug store on their way out of town and took the few cans of baby formula that was there.

The drive back to the farmhouse had them all nervous and excited, Glenn's emotions were effecting them all. It made Daryl wonder if he'd get the chance in future and whether Michonne would accept.

They weren't in love, but Daryl wasn't even sure what love felt like, was it the ache he felt when he had to leave for watch or the way his heart pounded whenever they were together, he wasn't sure and he sure as hell wasn't going to ask anyone and look like a damn pussy.

They three of them carried their haul inside, careful not to let Maggie see though Daryl was sure Glenn would probably propose the moment he saw her.

The group gathered around as Glenn explained the situation as quietly as possible; Maggie was upstairs folding some of the laundry and hadn't heard them. Something Daryl was happy for, losing Hershel had left the eldest Greene a lot less bubbly and positive but Glenn would pull her out of that.

Twenty minutes of everyone's nervous chatter came to an end when Maggie finally emerged from upstairs totally oblivious to the groups on edge attitude.

"Maggie, can you come here for a sec" Glenn spoke trying to keep his voice steady

"of course I can" she beamed at him, totally unaware of the situation. Glenn had picked out a beautiful diamond ring that he deemed perfect.

She stood in front of the Korean still totally unaware until he dropped to one knee and took her hand in his. "Maggie Greene, would you do me the honour of being my wife?"

She stared down at him for at least a minute, making even Daryl nervous "YES!" she exclaimed launching herself into Glenn's awaiting arms before he slipped the ring on her finger.

Whilst the group was distracted Daryl pulled Michonne away from them, taking the locket out of his vest pocket "I found this fer yew, I was thinking maybe yew could stick the photos of yer girls in it" he suggested.

"Thank you Daryl, it's beautiful and that's a beautiful idea, I will do that" she leant up and gave him a kiss before fastening the necklace around her neck "it's perfect" she grinned

"Yer welcome sweetheart, I thought it'd suit yew and it did." She gave him another kiss, neither of them were bothered if the group saw.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So there we go, two chapters in a short space of time, very soon (After Easter) I'm going to be doing a placement that involves 6 assignments all due at the end of April, so updates might be very thin. Though I will try to write to wind down sometimes in the evenings and also on weekends, I might try and give you two more chapters before it comes to that. Please excuse any mistakes, I have no edited this chapter. Tell me what you think! Are they getting too sappy or they going good? And what do you think of the rest?**

Michonne held the small heart shaped locket in one hand as she slowly flipped through her few photos of the girls. It was a strangely hard decision to make; it meant she had to cut one of her few precious possessions. Though they'd just go into the locket and around her neck it wasn't quite the same. She picked up the final picture in the bunch; it was her and the girls standing in front of the shark tank at the aquarium. The girls looked so happy to be there with both their mother and father; it wasn't totally foreign but still special for the two of them.

"They're beautiful" Daryl's voice startled her from behind, she hadn't noticed him peering over her shoulder "I'm sorry 'bout what happened to em…whatever it was."

"Rose was bit, just after the virus broke out, no one knew what it meant. Their father Shawn ushered them inside and patched up the bite, he called me after. She must've turned and bit him, I found them feeding on Marie, she was so small, she didn't stand a chance" she said quietly, a few tears escaping.

"It wasn't yer fault yew know" the hunter whispered as he thumbed the tears away "it ain't anyones fault, just the way it is." He pulled her into his arms, his thumb stroking her cheek as she cried "I remember when I found yew sobbin' in the guard's tower. I hated that I couldn't pull yew into my arms and comfort yew."

They sat like that for another 20 minutes until Michonne finally calmed down, now things were different she didn't mind opening up to Daryl, it was because she loved him, probably more than any guy she'd been with in her life.

"I was surprised you never told anyone, none of the group truly trusted me and you still kept quiet…thank you" she said quietly

"I trusted yew, knew yew need the time to yerself without any of them or their judgement" he smiled at her, their faces drifting closer together as they kissed. Michonne felt the warmth surging through her as all the negative thoughts drifted from her mind, she got lost in the soft comforting kiss.

She broke the kiss, opening her eyes to meet Daryl's hypnotizing gaze, his blue eyes locked with her brown ones and they communicated unspoken feelings before kissing a few more times.

"I ain't ever done this before…" Daryl whispered

"Done what?" she questioned

"Had a gurlfriend" he answered truthfully

"Is it better than you expected?" she whispered

"It's different, but I like it. Better than I imagined" he smiled

"I'm guessing Merle scared them off?" she gave him a warm smile thankful for his honesty

"Yew got that right, never even had a chance 'cause I was Merles brotha, only women he got were drunk desperate ones" he twisted his face in disgust "I think they were probably horrified when they woke and saw what was sleeping next to em…"

That statement made Michonne laugh, she imagined some poor woman waking up and backing away in horror when they saw Merle, he wasn't ugly but he wasn't a prized painting all the same and his personality didn't make up for it either.

"Well now he's out of the way you could have any girl you wanted, dead or alive" she teased

"Only girl I want is yew sweetheart" he grinned giving her a wink.

It was amazing how much he had opened up since they became a couple, she was used to referring to it as dating but it wasn't the same anymore. Her feelings were stronger and their relationship was tighter than any amount of dates could contribute too. In a strange way, being shot had been the best thing for them.

"I'm glad to hear that, 'cause there ain't no way anyone else is getting my man…" she almost laughed at her own attitude, she'd also never been this possessive of a man so early on.

"Good."

She watched as Daryl picked up the photos and looked through them, running his finger over her picture as well as the girls "they really looked like yew…how old were they?"

"Rose" she pointed to her in the photo "was 6, she was everything as mother could ask for, she took care of her little sister." She paused for a moment moving her finger to point at Marie "and Marie was 4, they were the best of friends" she smiled

"They're beautiful" he whispered "yer not gonna start cryin' on me are yew?"

"Don't worry Daryl, I'm all cried out" she chuckled at his reaction "you know, you reacted pretty well to me crying; most men don't know how to treat a cryin' woman"

"I'm glad yew think so cause I had no clue" he grinned "I think yew should put this one in yer locket…" he held the picture up, it was smaller than the others, maybe she could afford to cut that one, keep her babies close to her chest

"Good idea…" she took the photo from him and stood up, as his arms fell to the side. Going to her bag she dug through it until she found the pair of scissors she'd acquired at some point or another, she cut carefully around the two girls faces and took the locket off, opening it and slipping them into their correct places.

"It's gorgeous, thank you Daryl" she smiled at him "come help me put this on."

He got to his feet and went over to her taking the necklace from her as their hands brushed, another surge of electricity running through her. He fastened it around her neck allowing his hands to linger as he ran them over her bare arms.

"You're getting very touchy feely Daryl" she grinned

"I can stop if you'd like?" he taunted

"Didn't say I didn't like it" she laughed and turned around, kissing him again. She felt giddy and excited all over again.

His expression turned serious making her nervous "well I came in here to tell yew somethin' and yer probably not gonna like it." He paused chewing nervously at his thumb nail "Rick wants me to go on a run with him and Carl to check out his old town, see we can get some more weapons from the armoury at the police station. It'll be a couple of days before we get back."

"Well obviously I'm comin'" she shrugged, whether Rick or Daryl liked it or not.

"But we need yew to stay behind and keep the group tha group safe" he answered, Rick had definitely fed him that line to try on her

"Well that's funny since all but Judith know how to shoot and protect themselves" she rolled her eyes, she was sick of resting.

"Fine why don't yew ask Rick, don't bite my damn head off, I'm jus' the messenger" he scowled, looking defensive and even a little hurt

"I'm sorry Daryl" she sighed "I've just been stuck on light duties and it's driving me nuts…."

"s'alright sweetheart. I ain't got a problem with yew comin'" he smiled "In fact I'd be happier to have yew with me then leave yew behind. I just got yah all to mahself"

"well, let's see what we can do" she took his hand in hers and led him out of the room and down to the living room where Rick was discussing things with Glenn and Tyreese.

Taping her booted foot impatiently she kept a hold of the hunters hand, adjusting her green tank top with her other hand in an attempted to distract herself.

"I think it's safe to say everyone knows" Daryl chuckled "look at Beth and Sasha staring" he grinned proudly

"I'm glad they know, I don't want to keep you a secret" she smiled as he beamed at her

"Good" he grinned back at her before giving her another kiss. She didn't realize how much she missed kissing until she was kissing Daryl, it was a warming, comforting feeling that she hoped she'd never have to miss again.

Once Rick had finally finished his talk with Glenn and Tyreese they approached, Daryl had his arm slung proudly around her shoulder which made her giddy again "Daryl told me about the run to your home town and I just wanted to let you know I'm coming too. I need to get back out there and stop resting"

"is your shoulder properly healed?" he questioned sounding concerned, she appreciated the concern , but she could not handle any more time spent sitting around. Sure she had gone on that run with Glenn and Daryl but it was only a short one, close to their temporary home. She despised feeling useless.

"It is, I can use my sword in my non-dominant hand regardless." She gave a shrug, there was really no room for negotiations, she was going.

"Well I take there are no objections from you Daryl" Rick chuckled

"Yew got that right grimes" he grinned, Michonne loved how proud he was of their relationship.

"Fine, if you say you're alright, I trust your judgement." He gave a shrug.

An hour later the four of them set off, Michonne in the driver's seat. It took 3 hours to reach the town with no stopping. They had passed by a man with a huge camping backpack on the way, it wasn't often that you found people but they weren't about to take him in. The former lawyer felt bad for it, she knew everyone did but they couldn't take the risk. It could be a trap for all they knew. She glanced at Daryl who sat in the passenger's seat beside her and he gave her a sad smile, they felt the same.

They drove around a bunch of cars on the road, she was careful to avoid the mud they all spotted a walker half crushed under a car.

"Woah! That is so cool!" Carl exclaimed, he was so serious at times you forgot he was only 13 but right now he was reminding everyone all over again

"pretty brutal" Rick nodded

"too bad fer him" Daryl shrugged.

They pulled up outside the police station, all filled with nervous anticipation at the idea of finding more weapons. They headed straight for the armoury when they got into the building.

"FUCK!" Rick exclaimed startling them all

"we need those weapons" Daryl sighed

"no shit, were gonna have to go into the shops I signed permits for and hope for the best" Rick huffed.

Michonne picked up the one left over bullet and walked over to Rick handing it to him "we'll figure it out" she said reassuringly

"I thought we killed you assholes, but hell apparently not!" a familiar voice startled them all; there stood Martinez with a befuddled looking Milton.

**A/N: How'd you like that twist? haha**


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: So there we go another chapter, this time longer, I tried change things up a little since this sort of based around "Clear" so tell me what you think… This will probably be the last chapter for at least 5 days, if not more. ******__Also trigger warning for implied potential sexual abuse/rape_. Just putting that out there for everyone. It is extremely minor but I don't want to trigger anyone. As usual feedback is much appreciated, please excuse the lack of editing. Enjoy! 

Michonne drew her katana and thrust it at Martinez' neck "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Relax Mami, I just saw the car outside and door open and decided to have a look" Martinez gave a shrug "we've been in this town since Woodbury got overrun, some psycho set a bunch of booby-traps."

"what happened to him?" Rick gave them an uneasy look

"nothin' you need to worry about" Martinez shrugged

"he's still in the town, he kills any biters and keeps to himself" Milton answered

"Look Mami, I think you can drop the sword, we don't mean no harm." Martinez gave her a smirk

"Call me Mami again and I'll slice you mouth off" she hissed stepping back as she lowered her sword, she could practically hear Daryl growling as she placed a comforting hand on his arm to try and calm him "oooh I did not see that one happening, Racist ole Merle's little brotha hookin' up with a sweet thang like you" he cackled giving Michonne a wink, he was simply picking up on Daryl's energy and playing with it

"Shut the fuck up" Daryl hissed through clenched teeth, he was about to lose his temper.

"Daryl…you need to ignore him" Michonne whispered as Rick stepped into of the two of them

"Bring it Dixon" Martinez scowled, it was obvious he was trying to bait the group into a fight, for what reason Michonne wasn't sure.

"Just shut up!" Carl exclaimed startling everyone, the 13 year old was aiming his gun at Martinez who looked genuinely surprised

"Don't speak to me like that kid" he hissed, his temper starting to fray

"I'm not a kid, I'm stronger than you" he challenged "I had to shoot my mom, I'm not a kid anymore."

"Gee I'm sorry about that kid" Martinez gave a shrug "Look it's just Milton and I and we don't want no trouble."

No one believed him but they were all eager to get away from him and move onto weapon retrieval, they didn't need any trouble and they were certain that Martinez would cause it.

"We'll just be leaving, we don't want any trouble either" Rick said seriously as the four of them moved to leave

"hold up, where is your group settled? Mind if we come along?" Martinez questioned, he almost looked nervous

"I don't think that can happen, you killed some of our people" the leader answered

"We're sick of that crazy bastard in the town, we don't want no trouble, just somewhere to settle." The Latino almost begged.

"Just be quiet Martinez and let the people leave" Milton huffed

"Wow no one wants yew to talk" Daryl chuckled "that's three for three."

"You better watch it Dixon or I might cause some trouble" He scowled at Daryl making Michonne uneasy

"Look you two, stop trying to prove who has the biggest penis and we'll get going" she tugged on Daryl's arms as Milton and Rick chuckled at the men's antics, always competing.

"You could come back to the town, if you're looking for weapons the guy in town as them stocked up." Milton offered

"and let me guess, yew want to come with us in return" Michonne huffed, this whole meeting was going in circles and she didn't like it.

"Aren't you bright, take us with you or go back to wherever you came from" the glorified henchman scowled

"There are four of us and two of you, what makes you think we won't take you out" Rick smirked.

"What about our guy in the town? He's crazy, he'll take you out" Martinez gave them a cocky grin

"He won't even see us coming."

"Let's test that theory, you four head into the town, you won't come out alive. Hell we're lucky we're alive." Martinez threatened.

"Enough threatening Caesar, they'll have to find out for themselves." Michonne was impressed, timid Milton had come out of his shell.

"Go right ahead, don't say I didn't warn you" the man in front of them shrugged, Caesar stepped aside as they passed the men cautiously.

The walk to the town was one filled with nervous anticipation, no one wanted to talk as they approached, the middle of the street was filled with strange contraptions, large wooden barrels with spears sticking out from the, all sharpened or with knives attached, in the middle sat cages with Rats or pigeons in them to attract walkers, there was writing all over the place. On the ground the most prominent writing in red was _"turn around and live". _This made Michonne very nervous as they continued on. Passing on trap a lone female walker began to approach, she went for her katana when Daryl stopped her.

The walker ambled right into a piece of wire that jingled with the movement against it, a shot rang out making them all duck as the walker dropped to the ground.

"NOW YOU DROP WHAT YOU'VE GOT AND GO!" a male voice yelled from the roof of a two story building "DROP YOUR WEAPONS, THE SWORD, TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES AND GO!"

They raised their hands to play along "I think I can get up there" Michonne whispered

"Carl you get back to the car, we'll take care of this" Rick instructed as he gave Michonne a nod "Daryl you stay here with me, we need to be ready in case he comes down." The hunter nodded and raised his crossbow again as they began dodging shots, Rick fired a few before the man disappeared.

They looked on as Michonne appeared on the roof of the building next door giving them a questioning look, he was gone.

She pointed as the man ran out from behind the building firing shots in the mens direction, she felt sick as she watched Rick and Daryl split off, hiding behind whatever they could. Rushing back around the building with her sword ready one last shot was fired and the man dropped. Carl stood with his gun in his hands looking satisfied that he'd saved his father and Daryl.

"I thought I told you to get to the car" Rick frowned at the boy

"I couldn't leave you" the boy said quietly.

"Well I'll be damned you guys defeated the crazy man" Caesar's amused voice came from behind them

"He ain't dead, just bruised, bastard was wearin' body armour" Daryl answered "thought yew bastards were gunna leave us to it"

"Got bored at the station, it's empty anyway." He shrugged, Michonne knew he was literally just the henchman in Woodbury and he did what he was told; the group needed the man power if they were going to get to the coast.

Rick bent down and pulled the man's mask off, he paled as he stared down at the face of the man that had been shooting at them.

"Yew two will take care of the crazy fuck wont yew?" the hunter questioned looking at Caesar and Milton

"Where can we take him? I know him" Rick said quietly "he saved my life when I first woke up in this hell world. I owe him."

"He tried to kill us" Daryl scowled

"He's not so bad when you get to know, he's just a little crazy." Caesar shrugged

"he lives in that building there" Milton pointed to the building

"Help me carry him" he looked at Daryl who nodded, they walked toward the front door of the building, ducking the spears as they went, Michonne led the way checking for booby-traps.

"Step around the welcome mat" she hissed, now she was pissed off, neither Milton nor Martinez bothered to warn them about the fact that the ground under the welcome mat had been dug out and filled with spikes.

She went up the stairs ahead of them "Michonne, watch out for the wire" Rick hissed, she stopped in her tracks noticing the wire in front of her left foot

"Shit…thanks" she let out a breath and stepped over it and through the curtains to find an axe being held back by a rope. They followed her in, Carl taking up the rear. Rick spotted the camp bed that they placed the man on before the four of them took in the collection of weapons, there were more guns here than could fit in the armoury, this man had been busy collecting.

"We should take em' and leave, Milty and Caesar will take care of him" Daryl said

"We're not leaving until he wakes up, I know him" the former sheriff frowned at his friends attitude.

"Fine, we'll all wait" Michonne huffed, she picked up a packet of potato chips and opened it, slowly munching on them. Rick followed Carl into the other room as they had a hushed conversation.

The leader turned to look at her, his face wore an exasperated expression "We're eating his food now?"

"Mat said welcome" she gave a shrug, she was hungry and she was going to eat.

She smirked as Daryl snorted "she's got a point there Grimes" He walked over slipping his hand into the packet and taking a few chips for himself "he did try to kill us, figure he can go without a few chips" he munched on the chips he'd taken.

"Dad I want to go on a run, Mum's friend Sarah had that baby shop and I kind of wanted to get her a crib" the boy explained

Michonne and Daryl gave each other a look that said they didn't believe Carl's story, he had an ulterior motive for even coming a long and it had little to do with getting Judith a crib, which was pretty impractical.

"I'll go with you" Michonne spoke up as Daryl smirked, they noticed the 13 year olds expression drop slightly "the crib'll be heavy, it's better I come and help you carry it" she gave him a look that said she was onto him but would help regardless.

"sounds fine to me, just call out if either of you need help, we're not far away" Rick smiled at his son.

Michonne gave Daryl a peck on the lips and squeezed his arm before following Carl out.

"So what's the deal? Where are we really going?"

"There's a café around the corner and there's a photo on the wall of Mum, Dad and I. I want to show Judith what mum looked like"

"Then we'll get it" she smiled, here was another reminder that he was still a kid.

They made their way to the café that was filled with walkers "I have an idea" Carl whispered, "the rats in the cages; we could wheel them in on skateboards."

They went to work, getting three skateboards ready, Carl opened the door carefully as Michonne wheeled them in one by one. The walkers gathered around the cages clawing at them as they let out guttural growls.

The unlikely pair crept in the door cutting around the dividing wall as the approached the counter "It's up there" Carl whispered, he climbed onto a stool and then stood on the counter grabbing the frame. Michonne watched in horror as a walkers hand clamped around his leg, he got his gun ready to shoot but she drew her katana stabbing it cleanly through the forehead before carefully drawing it out, lowering the walkers head onto the counter without making a noise. Carl got down as they raced back around the divider wall. A rat came around the corner startling the two of them as walkers followed, their heads snapped up catching sight of the much bigger fresh meat in front of them.

"Shit" Michonne hissed grabbing Carls arm pulling him in front of her as they ran, a burnt walker burst through the door, Carl shot it running past as another burst through the kitchen door, Michonne sliced its head in half pulling her katana backwards and stabbing the walker that was right on her ass through the face. She didn't stop to check if the walker was double dead as they ran for the door, shooting, slicing and tipping tables on the way. She heard a clunk as they burst outside closing the door behind them.

"Where is it?" she hissed

"I dropped, I have to go back." He cried

"You stay right here I'll go get it. Do not move" she commanded before making her way to a side door, she slipped in and grabbed the framed picture, spotting the Technicolor cat she'd glanced at earlier. Grabbing it she slipped out the door with both of their prizes.

She made her way back to the front of the building handing Carl his prize "thank you Michonne!" he grinned

"s'alright, I was gonna go back in there anyway." She pulled out the cat statue from behind her back "I just couldn't resist, it's just too damn gorgeous" she chuckled, they started to walk back to the town centre when Carl stopped.

"We should at least get Judith a proper carrier" he nodded toward the shop he had talked about earlier

"Sounds good to me" she smiled, she loved baby shops and she loved Judith.

They made their way to the store finding a carrier quite easily, Michonne placed the cat and the picture frame in it and handed it to Carl "How about you take that to the car and I'll grab a few more things for your sister" she suggested

"Okay, I'll be back in a few."

She rummaged through the clothes finding a whole lot in various sizes, babies grew fast and despite the situation Judith was living up to that.

"Well well well, the redneck wonder left his woman alone" Martinez' voice startled her, he moved fast standing over her "that works for me" he grinned, his gun aimed at her forehead "you don't need to get up Mami, you're perfect right there on your knees."

He unzipped his pants, Michonne wanted to throw up then and there, she should've been more alert. His briefs blocked him from her sight but she could tell he was hard already, why had she been so stupid as to think this man was good, she'd been onto the Governor from the start. What changed to skew her judgement so badly?

"The redneck wonder is never too far away asshole" the tip of an arrow pierced Caesars forehead as he dropped to the ground. She was on her feet and in Daryl's arms in an instant "I saw Carl going to tha car an' noticed the sleazy bastard approachin', lucky I followed" he sighed kissing the top of her head

"Thank you Daryl" she whispered, she'd been terrified in that moment.

They stood there for a few minutes just taking the time to calm down, Michonne smiled at Daryl before she gathered the clothes she'd found and put them in a bag, stopping for a moment to grab a bright purple fluffy cat toy.

"So yew like cats huh" he chuckled

"Like is an understatement" she grinned

"I did notice the photo of yer girls with yer cats in the bunch" they both laughed at this, it seemed ridiculous to hold onto the notion of having a pet cat but Michonne couldn't help it, along with her memories of the girls the other good ones were her cats.

She had two cats before the outbreak, Pepper, a black male persian who has extremely fluffy and amazingly tolerable and loving. Then there was Ginger, a female ginger persian, that carried similar traits. She had adored them both, she didn't even know what happened to them, when she came home to find Mike and Terry as walkers they were already gone.

"What can I say, I love cats" she smiled wistfully

"We'll have to find yew one in future" he promised, stopping to give her another kiss.

"I hope so" they walked away from the shop hand in hand "I spotted a hunting shop, looked like no one looted it. Might be a crossbow in there for you…"

_**A/N: So what do you think of what I did with Milton and Martinez? I wanted to keep Martinez around but I feel as though in the series he goes along with Phillips orders a little too easily…so I turned him creepy. Did that work? Any feedback?**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: A new chapter for you guys! I hope you like it; please excuse any spelling mistakes etc. Let me know what you think about what happens and if it was all reasonable! **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

Michonne and Daryl walked silently toward the hunting store, talking was an unnecessary luxury at times. They were both happy in silence, just being together was enough and Michonne had easily picked up on the hunter's excitement. They broke into the store which smelt musty, there were no walkers in sight.

Before she had a chance to think Daryl was creeping toward the crossbows, he was smiling as he approached. She followed closely with her katana drawn. There were no walkers in the store; it didn't even look like anyone had been in there since the end of the world happened.

"You could have any crossbow your heart desired" Michonne chuckled as Daryl looked over them all "in fact we could grab them all, pick them based on your mood for the day" she teased

"That's not a bad idea" he laughed

"How about we pick two and whichever you decide not to use becomes mine" she grinned, the idea of Daryl's arms around her as he 'taught' her to use it sounded good right now.

"'Spose yew'll be wanting me to yew."

"'Spose you're right" she winked

She watched in amusement as he took down each crossbow studying it carefully, he finally settled on a Stryker crossbow before going through them all again and picking out one not too dissimilar to his Horton, in fact it looked like an upgraded version.

"Looks like the decisions made" the former lawyer smiled approaching Daryl who had just placed the crossbows on the counter. She took his old crossbow from his hands placing it on the next counter and stepped forward placing a kiss on his lips. He responded instantly as the kiss increased in intensity. His hands roamed over her curves and he pulled her closer, spinning them swiftly and lifting her up onto the counter. She slipped her hands under his shirt skimming them over his chest before he stopped them abruptly. They stayed close both catching their breaths, Michonne cringed inwardly. His scars, she got too close to them, they were a sore spot with him and she completely forgot.

She'd pushed him too far and now she'd have to live with the consequences. He slung the new Stryker over his shoulder before picking up his old crossbow and indicating for her to take the other. He picked up a few packs of arrows as she slipped the Horton over her katana sheath and exited quickly.

"Daryl wait…" she said quietly, grabbing his arm, it was not meant to be like this

"What do yew wanna talk about?" he scowled "jus' back the hell off, I ain't got time for all this girly bullshit" he pulled his arm from her grasp and stomped off ahead of her. She sighed and followed, she'd ruined everything.

They placed the new crossbows in the car, still in silence as they headed back to Morgan's living quarters. They found Milton sitting on the stairs looking sad, Daryl trudged past him as Michonne stopped in front of him.

"What's wrong Milton?" she questioned quietly

"Where's Martinez?"

"Dead" she answered simply

"whatever he did…I'm sorry" the man sighed, he was highly intelligent and probably abhorred being stuck along with someone like Martinez.

"it ain't my decision but it might be worth asking Rick if you can come, you're okay in my book" she shrugged, there was that Daryl like drawl she'd picked up "Come on, let's go see what's going on"

He followed her up to the main area, both being careful to step over the wire.

"Daryl has informed that Martinez acted out of line and has been killed, with that said, if you would like to join us, you can" Rick said to Milton, Michonne was somewhat shocked, he was accepting the man quite easily.

"Thank you Rick, I would like to come, I don't have anyone and I'd never survive in this world on my own." He smiled

"Welcome aboard Milton" she tapped him on the shoulder before joining Daryl and Carl in packing the weapons. They had plenty of ammo by the time they were done, Morgan was no where to be seen until they walked outside, he was busy loading a walker onto a stretcher and strapping it down, it was already double dead.

Michonne placed her bags in the trunk before approaching him "I lost my daughters, they were dead before I even got to the house, my partner was gone and so was my ex-husband" she said with a sigh "I understand the immense pain you're feeling but if you truly want to honour your son and your wife's lives then you need to stop, stop spiralling into insanity and fight. Fight to live, beat this damn world and make their deaths worth it." She patted his arm "whether you choose to stay here or come with us, just promise me you'll fight."

"You're a strong woman; you must be doing something right. I promise you I'll fight." He sighed

She went back to the car and got into the passenger's seat, staring out the window as her thoughts drifted back to Daryl. She sighed to herself, she wasn't sure she'd ever get him back.

Rick opened the opposite door startling her from her thoughts "Michonne, Morgan has decided to come with us, Daryl and Carl have gone to get the rest of the guns, that leaves us with one seat short. So you're sitting on Daryl's lap." He gave her a knowing look "he does this, he pulls away. He'll come back though and I'm going to do my best to help that along" he gave her a slight smile.

"Thanks Rick, I guess I better get out and wait" she watched as he moved away from the car before getting out, she tried her best not to smirk as she watched Rick speak to Daryl who gave him a scowl, no doubt at the news that she'd be sitting on his lap.

Soon they were all getting in the car, Carl and Milton sat in the back, Carl in the middle and Milton beside him. Daryl got into place giving her a look that said he was none too pleased about this set up. She gave him a shrug and climbed into his lap, purposely positioning herself so they were sitting practically face to face. Michonne felt like she was in high school trying to get a boy to like her.

The former lawyer placed her hand on his shoulder attempting to get comfortable; she should feel his breath on her should as he stared ahead trying his best to ignore her. It was almost comical how awkward this situation was, sitting on her boyfriend's lap in a car with 4 other people, all male and all thoroughly amused by their antics.

The drive was completely silent as she let her thumb rub against his shoulder tenderly, she wanted him to know she cared "I'm sorry…" she mouthed, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be sorry for but she'd keep apologizing regardless.

He shrugged and placed his hand on her thigh, looking back at her, she could see him processing his thoughts and could only hope for the best.

They drove for around an hour, it was slowly getting darker so they decided to find a house for the night, driving into the neighbourhood beside Rick's old one. They parked outside, the car ready to go in case of an emergency, they cleared the house quickly only finding four walkers. They placed them around the house, finding and killing a few others to line up around the outside of the house and the car to mask their very alive scent. Once everyone was inside the walkers were in place they made sure all the doors were secure and the windows were covered.

"Alright, Carl and I are taking the main bedroom after first watch, whilst Milton and Morgan are going to take the second bedroom and then take watch, Daryl and Michonne, you guys are in the study." Rick nodded at the two of them, Michonne found it hard not to laugh as she returned the favour "Michonne and Daryl, you guys are in charge of clearing the walkers in the morning when it's time to leave, you both have silent weapons and that is what we need to make it a smooth run back. Carl and I will take the first watch until 2am, and then Milton and Morgan will take over until 7am."

Michonne left the men and took her bag up to the study, it certainly was small, with one single bed to boot; Daryl was probably throwing a huge fit about it. Rick was clearly keeping his promise, she had heard about the hunter pulling away when Sophia was found in the barn and then a couple of times before they found the prison, it had always been a possibility that scared her when their relationship started.

She held onto the locket around her neck and sighed, she wasn't sure she could face losing someone else, especially because he was alive.

"What'd yew do to convince Rick to give us this room?" Daryl scowled as he walked in "did yeh give him what yew were hopin' fer in the huntin' shop" he sneered

"You don't get to talk to me like that Daryl. You haven't even been able to look at me, you won't talk to me and you certainly won't tell me what I did wrong" his words stung a lot more than she wanted them too.

"Whatever" he huffed, he stepped around her, kicking his boots off before he laid back on the bed "floors all yers."

"Doesn't work like that Daryl." She didn't give him a chance to protest as she took the small amount of space beside him on the bed, kicking her own boots off and laying her katana on the floor beside the bed

"I ain't ready tah talk" he sighed turning slowly to face away from her, she felt her heart breaking just a little.

"I'm sorry I pushed you too far…" she whispered, closing her eyes she sunk into a dreamless sleep.

Sometime in the night she was woken by a strong pair of arms wrapping around, she relished the feeling of Daryl's arms around her.

They spent the night that way and when Michonne woke up Daryl was surprisingly still there. She could tell by his breathing that he was awake as well.

"It ain't yer fault 'Chonne…" he whispered, obviously sensing she was awake "I ain't never done anything like that before"

"We'll take it slow" she whispered back "I'm not going anywhere and I know you're not"

"not a chance" he turned to grin at her "sorry I threw such a damn hissy fit, makes me feel like a pussy"

"You don't need to be sorry Daryl, I understand" she gave him a grin and leant in to kiss him, the kiss they shared was tender and filled with feelings.

"I love yew" Daryl whispered, he looked nervous and almost confused.

"I love you too." She kissed him again, she found herself cuddling into his side, the warmth was a welcome comfort.

"_**HELP! WALKERS!"**_ someone screamed.

_**A/N: I'm not sorry for that little cliffhanger. Haha. Hopefully you'll get a new chapter soon!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Phew a new chapter finally, Sorry it's been so long! I have been super busy and when I haven't been busy I've sick. I am sick again but it's only just started so I got this one done. I hope it's alright! Let me know what you think. Please excuse any grammar or spelling errors or missing words, I'll try and edit soon. Enjoy!**_

Michonne and Daryl leapt into action, almost in unison, she picked up her katana and slipped on her boots rushing down the stairs, Daryl wasn't far behind her and they burst through the front door.

They were greeted by the sight of Carl and Milton standing on the front porch shooting, Milton was a terrible shot that much was clear, Morgan and Rick were fighting off the walkers with an axe each.

The two of them charged into action slicing and stabbing walkers in unison with Rick and Morgan, Carl cried out "MILTON!"

A walker tried to bite his duct tape protected arm before he hit the walker over the head with the butt of his gun. Michonne was impressed by the strength of the duct tape and with Milton's inventiveness. With that short battle was over. There were walker bodies scattered around, they were lucky this was a small herd, but their shots could have attracted more.

"We need to get a move on" Rick said quietly, everyone agreed snapping into action, they all went inside, grabbing what little possessions they had taken into the house overnight.

Once they were alone in their own room Daryl and Michonne allowing themselves a moment of silence, they both stood there looking one another over for bites and scratches. Michonne found herself breathing a sigh of relief when she realized not only were they both fine but so were the others. She'd grown attached to Carl especially, the young boy represented the one thing that made her thankful for her girls having gone so soon, they didn't have to live in fear or grow up too soon.

She allowed herself to rest her head against Daryl's chest when he pulled her into his arms; they'd been caught off guard by Carl's call.

"THERE'S A CAR APPROACHING!" Rick yelled

"The universe don't want us togetha today" Daryl huffed as they pulled apart heading back downstairs and out the front.

A burly man with red hair and a red beard got out of the silver jeep, followed by a Latino woman and a shorter, rounder guy.

"We heard the shots and came to see what was going on" The man at the front said, he had a huge smile on his face. Michonne guessed he was probably in the army before the break out. "Looks like you've had a bit of a battle" he commented

"We were just leaving" Rick scowled at the small group before them, the former sheriff did not take kindly to strangers at all and who could blame him after the Governor?

"we mean no harm…" the other guy spoke up stepping forward

"That's close enough" Rick raised his gun

"No need for that man, we're just looking for a group to settle with" the red head said honestly

"Well you can keep looking"

"Please man, we need people" the other shorter guy begged

"We need ta talk" Daryl frowned at the small group in front of them, Michonne didn't believe they were a threat, the red headed man seemed genuine and his travelling buddies looked just as desperate to join a group. They could do with the man power.

They group moved back to the front porch, all looking between one another "they seem alright to me, they certainly don't give me the uneasy feelings that The Govnah did" Michonne said first

"They're nothing like Phillip" Milton agreed

"I don't know man, the leader just seems a bit opinionated" Rick spoke up

"I think they're alrgiht" Daryl said with a shrug

"they seem fine to me" Carl spoke up, Michonne was both amused and disturbed, he was a little adult, he got to have an opinion where in a world without walkers he'd be in school being told what to do. He'd been robbed of being a kid.

"I say let them. We could do with as much help as possible if we're clearing an island" said Morgan; he'd been filled in about the idea by Rick on their drive back.

"All in favour of them joining the group on a trial basis, raise your hands" Rick conceded, putting it to a vote was the best way to make the decision, everyone but Rick raised their hand, he couldn't overrule the decision.

"We'll keep an eye on them." He nodded.

They all turned away and walked back to their positions "we've decided you can join, we're on the road the moment so up until we find the right place can be a trial as such" Rick looked between the red headed man and his companions.

"I'm Abraham" the red head introduced himself "this is Eugene and Rosita" he looked between the shorter rounder man and the latina woman.

"I'm Rick Grimes, this is my son Carl" he gave them weary looks

"I'm Daryl and this is Michonne" the hunter pulled her closer, she nodded at the three of them

"Morgan" the man simply said

"Milton"

Once the introductions were finished the group gathered their things and got into their vehicles, to make things easier Daryl and Michonne were going to ride with Abraham and the others, something both of them were comfortable with.

The journey started out in silence, Daryl was in the middle between Michonne and Rosita whilst Abraham drove.

"How long have you guys been on the road?" Abraham questioned randomly

"About three weeks" Daryl shrugged "we were living in a prison, got attacked"

"By walkers?" Rosita questioned

"By people" Michonne answered this time

"Who would do that?" Rosita sounded horrified; her brown eyes were wide with confusion and shock

"Brainwashed people, psychopaths, a combination of the two" Daryl answered

"And they took over the prison?" Abraham questioned, he sounded curious

"No, they got attacked on the outside and the fences were already destroyed, there was no more protection" Michonne sighed

"Living in a prison, that must have been interesting" Eugene chimed in

"It was, first time a Dixon ever broke in ta one" Daryl laughed and Michonne laughed along.

"I think a prison would be the safest place now, where are you going now?" Rosita smiled at the two of them

"we're going to try and find an island off the coast" she smiled, proud that her idea had been accepted by the group.

"we're going to scavenge as much as possible on the way there, originally Rick, Carl, 'Chonne and I went to scavenge for weapons, we found Morgan in a town we were scavenging in, Milton and another guy were there too the other guy pushed his luck" there was an underlying tone to Daryl's words, one that spoke volumes compared to his words

"then we found that house for the night and here we are" Michonne finished for him

"Are there more people in your group?" Rosita asked hopefully

"yes, 9 more people, including a baby" she answered

"A baby? Wow that must be hard" Eugene piped in

"She's surprisingly quiet, it's as if she knows" she smiled, she was proud of Judith in a weird way, babies were instinctual and thankfully Judith had picked up on the silence.

"so her mother survived the birth? Remarkable" the shorter man said, his blonde hair was styled in what could only be described as mullet, whether that had been intentional was unclear. There were no hair dressers around these days. He had a round, chubby face and an even rounder body. His eyes were brown and squinty and his nose was wide. He wasn't the most attractive man but he seemed intelligent, maybe he and Milton would get along.

Rosita had to be the complete opposite, her natural olive skin was set off by dark brown hair and dark eyes, and she was petite with a killer figure. She wore shorts, a tank top and a short vest with a green trucker cap. She even wore a pair of gold hoop earrings, Michonne could tell she had sass and she liked that idea. She was also younger than both Eugene and Abraham, maybe they had been part of a larger group before.

"Actually she died, some walkers breached the gates and she had to run with her son and another member of our group, she went into labour and lost too much blood" she sighed, once she'd heard the full story and seen Carl changing and seen Rick lose his mind it became a hard story to tell.

"oh, well we're sorry to hear that" Abraham piped in, Michonne studied him in the mirror, his face was weather though not entirely because of age, that much she could tell, he was muscular with large arms. He was smiling despite the atmosphere; she always admired someone who could keep a smile on their face through everything. His eyes were hazel and he had a handle bar moustache, he was attractive and rough she had to admit. Though he had nothing on Daryl in her mind.

Soon they reached the house, the rest of the group pouring out of the house and crowding onto the front porch. They groups exited the cars, looks of confusion crossing most people's faces.

"Milton! You're alive!" Andrea exclaimed, rushing over to give the man a hug.

Soon there were introductions and explanations made, most people getting along right away, Tyreese and Abraham got along like a house on fire, and as predicted so did Milton and Eugene.

"So Rosita, you're with Abraham?" her blonde friend questioned, not even bothering to try and be subtle.

"We are, he is quite a bit older than me but he's a good man" she smiled wistfully "he keeps us safe and he taught me to defend myself. I know we sounded shocked in the car but we've come across our fair share of scum bags."

"Well we're glad to have you guys join." Beth chimed in, the young blonde had gone starry eyed as soon as she'd seen Abraham, it was a surprise to Michonne "anyway, I'm going to go get some more food for Judith" with that she left.

They spent a while longer before sleeping arrangements were changed. Michonne and Daryl would take the night shift for watch so they'd sleep in the living room, Andrea was to join Carol, Beth and Sasha whilst Milton took the room with Ben, Abraham and Rosita would take the room left for them, Morgan would sleep in Rick, Carl and Judith's room and Tyreese would take watch from the back of the house with the intention of also sleeping in the living room. Fitting 17 adults into a small house hadn't been easy but everyone was willing to do it.

Michonne and Daryl sat on the front porch in silence for the first hour both mulling over the days event's, it was yet another hard day to process, more new people, more unfamiliar territory and more steps in the right direction for their relationship.

"Yew should sit on my lap." Daryl said randomly, she knew he hadn't meant to say it aloud

"sounds good to me" she answered before standing up and going over to him, she sat sideways like she had in the car as their face drew closer "it's been a long day" she whispered before kissing him softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist as the silence over took them again, kissing whenever one of them felt like it.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So Sorry guys, I have been super busy with placement, assignments and classes, but I will have a month to start writing more after Wednesday. I hope you guys like this chapter, I happened to add a surprise twist to it, one I had to think about for a while that changes the dynamics of things, forever. Please excuse any mistakes, this chapter is shortish but I'll have a longer one posted soon, I just wanted to update!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

**Michonne's POV**

Michonne watched in amusement as Tyreese and Carol danced around one another, they were preparing breakfast and whenever one got close the other would practically jump away, it was clear that there was an attraction between them and neither knew how to go about making something more than friendship.

As much as she wanted to try and push the two of them together, she wasn't about to try and get them together, there was too much ground to cover with Daryl. That would be her focus, and she was sure neither Carol nor Tyreese would appreciate any interference. Michonne knew as a couple she and Daryl had to take things slow and she was happy with that, she rushed things before, rushed into marriage and children and then she lost it all. It was a strange concept to her, in a world where slow wasn't an option that was the one thing they both needed. She figured they could probably afford to be a little slow; they had both been built for this world. Michonne knew Daryl wasn't bullet proof but he was strong and he was a survivor, if anyone could stay alive out of this group it was him.

Though the former lawyer was amused there was an underlying tone of sombreness in the air, it was time to pack up and get on the road. Rick, Daryl, Abraham, Milton and Tyreese had picked a new route to travel toward the coast on. No one wanted to leave the beds behind or the homely feeling of the house but it was just too small to be a permanent residence and they were at risk out in the open of a farm.

Their next stop would be Stone Mountain, it was a near perfect stop, the houses would probably be bigger and it was beside a national park so if they picked a house on the edge Daryl could hunt some food for them and they could use the park for target practice. They could even start gathering supplies, from houses and stores, there were likely to be some things that remained untouched that were perfect for what they needed.

They set off an hour later, covering ground quickly they were soon passing Atlanta, the city of the dead. It held memories for the rest of the group. Memories that Michonne knew of, Andrea lost Amy, Carol lost her husband and then her daughter, Daryl lost Merle the first time, Rick found his family, the stories were endless.

They drove for three hours having to stop about five times to clear road blocks and were now approaching their sixth, Michonne hopped off the back of Daryl's bike unsheathing her katana and clearing the very few walkers that were ambling around. She moved to the first car door, a small sedan, they made quick work of the before moving a few more vehicles.

They approached the final vehicle in the road, a white van, she had her katana at the ready as she pulled it open the driver's side door. There was no sign of movement in the front but something was moving in the back. By now Daryl was following her, she pulled the backdoors open to find three people in the back a couple and a little girl, and she couldn't see them properly.

She let her katana drop as Daryl did the same with his crossbow "We won't hurt you" she said

"Mommy?" questioned the tiny voice of the little girl, her voice sounded like Maria's but that couldn't be possible

"I don't think that's your mother Maria" the female of the couple said as they emerged from the van.

Michonne thought she had to be hallucinating, this wasn't possible.

**Daryl's POV**

The little girl was spitting image of Michonne, there was no way this wasn't her daughter. He watched as the little girl ran to the former lawyer, knocking her off her feet as they hugged fiercely, Michonne was sobbing and holding the girl so tight she might have been cutting off her airways.

"She thought both 'er girls we're gone, yew don' know how much this means ta her" Daryl said.

Rick and a few others had begun to gather around them, Michonne was still on the ground with Maria as the two people with her stared.

"I'm Daryl, Michonne down thea, this is Rick, Carol and Tyreese. We got others in the cars" he explained

"I'm Lola and this my boyfriend Chris" the girl couldn't have been more than 19 years old, her hair was chocolate brown, long and curly, she had quite an innocent looking face with big brown eyes and pouty lips, Chris on the other hand was quite tall with dark brown shaggy hair, blue eyes and a muscular build, he looked fairly harmless, Daryl didn't see any reason to be worried about the couple.

"How did you find her?" Michonne finally asked

"Chris and I were passing through backyards, trying to get to the side road where I'd left my car when we heard banging and crying on the backdoor of a house, we peaked in the window and found Maria on the other side," Lola explained "We got the door open and Maria out just as the creepers inside broke through the kitchen door. We had found a dog whilst going through another backyard, so Chris shot it and put it inside for the walkers to distract them from trying to get out so we could get away with Maria"

"Thank you so much" the former lawyer whispered, she was now standing, holding Maria in her arms. Her Katana was on the ground and she hadn't even noticed. Daryl picked it up slipping It in her sheath whilst she continued talking with the young couple.

"You guys can join us on our travels" Rick offered

"Thank you for the offer but we're heading in the opposite direction." Chris said as Lola smiled "We're sad to let Maria go but now she's with her mother."

Daryl nodded and looked at Michonne and Maria, the woman was so engrossed in her daughter she hadn't even heard any of the conversation. He approached silently.

"Chonne, Lola and Chris are gonna go in the opposite direction. I think yer girl might want to say bye" he said as the woman looked up at him and nodded, she placed Maria on her feet, the little girl ran to the woman and her companion hugging them both tightly, Daryl realized the girl was crying and looked to Michonne for her a reaction. Michonne wore a sympathetic expression, she was definitely too ecstatic to be truly saddened by her daughter's attachment to the couple. Daryl took her hand in his squeezing it tight.

"This isn't goodbye Maria, we'll see you again, there aren't many people around these days. Less people means more of a chance of finding us again" Lola said quietly "Now go back to your mother" Daryl watched the brunette smile down at the girl and nudge her toward her mother.

The girl turned around, eyeing Michonne's hand in his before heading to the other side of her hugging her leg. She was tiny for a six year old, the hunter imagined that the lack of food and increased necessity of running hadn't been to the girls favour.

"Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter" Michonne smiled at the woman who nodded again.

"She was a pleasure to take of" Chris said, the two of them walked toward a vehicle parked on the other side of the highway.

"Carol can I swap with you?" the former lawyer asked, without really acknowledging Daryl her hand left his. He watched as she guided Maria to the car and Carol walked toward him.

"Don't take it personally" she patted his arm "she's in shock."

Daryl didn't believe her for a second, he wasn't good enough for her and he'd always known it and now she realized it.


End file.
